"The games we grew up with deserve to live forever. This project makes that possible on a single handheld device."

By u/Kingspoken

This is a collection of step-by-step guides, Docker scripts, and automated installers for running classic MMO private servers completely offline on a Steam Deck (or any Linux machine).

No subscription. No internet required. No servers getting shut down. Just you and the games you love — forever.

Every guide here is built around:

• ✅ Open source emulators only — no copyrighted assets, no game files distributed
• ✅ Docker-based — clean, repeatable, easy to remove
• ✅ Steam Deck tested — every setup verified on SteamOS
• ✅ Dad-friendly — written for people who love games, not just developers
• ✅ One command install — automated installers handle everything

I'm a dad who grew up on MMOs. Like a lot of you, I watched the servers for games I loved get shut down one by one. Nostalrius. Felmyst. Turtle WoW. Games that meant something — gone.

Then I got a Steam Deck.

And I started wondering: what if I could bring them back? Offline. On a handheld. Forever.

Turns out — for a lot of classic MMOs — you can. The emulator community has done incredible work over the years. This project is about packaging that work into something any dad (or mom, or kid) can actually use.

This is not piracy. We use open source server emulators. You supply your own legally obtained game clients. We just help you run them.

▶️ Dad's MMO Lab — YouTube Channel

Pick your game and run the installer. Each one handles everything automatically.

WoW Vanilla 1.12:

chmod +x install-wow-vanilla.sh && ./install-wow-vanilla.sh

WoW The Burning Crusade:

chmod +x install-wow-tbc.sh && ./install-wow-tbc.sh

WoW Wrath of the Lich King:

chmod +x install-wow-wotlk.sh && ./install-wow-wotlk.sh

RuneScape 2009:

chmod +x install-runescape.sh && ./install-runescape.sh

RuneScape 2009 HD upgrade (run after the base installer):

chmod +x upgrade-runescape-hd.sh && ./upgrade-runescape-hd.sh

Every WoW installer:

• ✅ Detects SteamOS and fixes the pacman keyring
• ✅ Installs Docker if needed
• ✅ Downloads and compiles the server
• ✅ Creates a default admin / admin account with GM Level 3
• ✅ Populates the world with bots
• ✅ Builds a Gaming Mode launcher

New to Linux? Read the HOWTO guide for your game first — every step explained in plain English, zero assumed knowledge.

All three WoW installers ship with Playerbots pre-configured — bots that roam the world, fill dungeons and raids, and keep the economy alive so the game feels like a real server, not an empty shell.

Play entirely from Steam Gaming Mode — no Desktop Mode needed after setup:

1. Each installer creates a Gaming Mode launcher in your home folder
2. Add it to Steam as a Non-Steam game via Konsole:
   • Target: /usr/bin/konsole
   • Launch Options: --hold -e bash ~/[game]-launcher.sh
   • Proton: OFF (WoW uses Proton for the game client, not the server)
3. Launch from your Steam library
4. Wait for "[GAME] IS READY!"
5. Launch the game client from your library
6. Close the client → server auto-shuts down

Full setup instructions in each game's HOWTO guide.

If Docker stops working after a Steam Deck update:

chmod +x guides/Steam-Update-Fix/fix-after-update.sh
./guides/Steam-Update-Fix/fix-after-update.sh

Rebuilds the pacman keyring and reinstalls Docker automatically.

Steam Deck Gaming Mode
        │
        ▼
   Docker Container      ← Runs silently in background
   (Server Emulator)
        │
        ▼
  MySQL / MariaDB
   (Game Database)
        │
        ▼
Game Client via Proton
   → connects to localhost
   → completely offline

(RuneScape runs without Docker — pure Java on Linux. No Proton needed.)

This project:

• ✅ Uses only open source server emulators
• ✅ Does not distribute game assets, client files, or copyrighted content
• ✅ Requires you to supply your own game client
• ✅ Is intended for personal, offline, single-player use
• ❌ Does not help run public servers
• ❌ Does not support monetization of private servers

Huge credit to the communities that make this possible:

• AzerothCore — the incredible open source WoW WotLK emulator
• CMaNGOS — the Vanilla and TBC foundation
• 2009scape — the RuneScape 2009 emulator
• Saradomin Launcher — the HD experimental client
• Every emulator project linked in our guides

Go give them a star. They deserve it.

"This is preservation, not piracy."

Found a bug? Got a game working that's not listed? PRs are welcome!

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md before submitting.

Special thanks to the community testers who have helped improve these installers through real-world bug reports. You know who you are. 🙏

• Reddit: u/Kingspoken
• Reddit Thread: The post that started it all
• YouTube: youtube.com/@DadsMmoLab

This project is free and always will be.

If it helped you relive something you thought was gone forever — a coffee goes a long way toward keeping this going and eventually making it a full time mission:

☕ ko-fi.com/dadsmmolab

Or just:

• ⭐ Star this repo — helps more people find it
• 📢 Share it with other dads who miss their old games
• 💬 Comment on the YouTube videos

Scripts and guides in this repo are released under MIT License.

Game emulators linked here are subject to their own licenses. Game assets belong to their respective owners and are NOT included here.

Built with love by a dad who just wanted to play WoW on the couch without a subscription.

And then things got out of hand. 😄

We're just getting started. ⚔️