Steam Local MCP
A free, open-source Windows Model Context Protocol server that lets an MCP-capable agent work with the Steam client installed for the current Windows user.
Ask an agent to find an installed game, launch it, open its Steam page, check local download/update status, search the Store, or summarize Steam-library storage. Steam starts quietly in the background when a requested client action needs it.
This is a standard stdio MCP server. It is agent-neutral: use it with Codex, Claude, or any other MCP client that can run a local command.
Example Usage
User: "Pick a strategy game for me to play."
Agent: 🛠️ Calling steam_list_games()
Agent: "How about Balatro? Should I launch it?"
User: "Yes."
Agent: 🛠️ Calling steam_launch_game(app_id: 2861700)
Agent: "Launched Balatro."
What it can do
steam_list_games and steam_find_game — inspect locally installed games across all configured Steam libraries.steam_launch_game — launch one installed game by name or app ID.steam_get_game_install_status and steam_get_download_status — inspect manifest-recorded install, update, download, and paused-download states.steam_get_library_storage — show installed sizes and free disk space for every local Steam library.steam_open_library_page, steam_open_store_page, and steam_open_client_page — navigate the Steam client.steam_install_game — ask Steam to install an app ID; Steam validates ownership and manages the install flow.steam_client_status — report the detected Steam installation, discovery source, and whether Steam is running.
steam_search_store — find Store app IDs from a game name.steam_get_game_details — get public metadata, price, genres, release date, and Metacritic score.
Set STEAM_API_KEY and STEAM_ID to enable:
steam_api_status — verify if API credentials are configured, valid, and connected to Steam's Web API.steam_get_library — owned games, playtime, last played, filtering, and pagination.steam_get_recently_played — recently played games, ordered by two-week playtime.
Requirements
- Windows 10 or newer
- Steam installed for the current Windows user
- Node.js 20 or newer
Install from npm
To install the published package via npm, add this equivalent configuration to your MCP client:
{
"mcpServers": {
"steam": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "steam-local-mcp"]
}
}
}
The configuration-file location differs by agent, but the command and arguments above remain the same. Restart or reconnect your MCP client after saving its configuration.
To confirm your install manually, run:
npx -y steam-local-mcp print-config
Install from source
Use this when developing, auditing the source, or before an npm release is available:
git clone https://github.com/Jackson-Brooks/steam-local-mcp.git
cd steam-local-mcp
npm install
npm run build
Then configure your MCP client to run the compiled entry point from the directory you cloned:
{
"mcpServers": {
"steam": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["C:\\path\\to\\steam-local-mcp\\dist\\src\\index.js"]
}
}
}
Replace C:\path\to\steam-local-mcp with your own clone location. Do not use another user's path.
Optional Steam Web API configuration
Pass credentials through your MCP client's environment configuration or the operating-system environment:
{
"mcpServers": {
"steam": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "steam-local-mcp"],
"env": {
"STEAM_API_KEY": "your_key",
"STEAM_ID": "your_64_bit_steam_id"
}
}
}
}
The server never loads a .env file automatically. Never commit credentials. Steam profile and game-details privacy settings can prevent account tools from returning data; local client controls still work for private profiles.
Getting your Steam API credentials
- Sign in to Steam in a browser and open the Steam Web API key page.
- Create or copy your key, then set it as
STEAM_API_KEY in your MCP client's environment configuration. Keep it private.
- Set
STEAM_ID to your numeric 64-bit Steam ID, not your account name. It is commonly visible in a profile URL such as https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/7656119....
- Restart or reconnect your MCP client, then call
steam_api_status to confirm that the credentials are configured.
With the key configured, an agent can answer requests such as “show my unplayed Steam games” or “what have I played recently?” The key is optional: launching games, local install status, storage, Store search, and Store metadata work without it.
Steam detection and local status
Steam Local MCP checks, in order:
STEAM_PATH — either the Steam directory or its steam.exe- Current-user and machine Valve registry keys
- Conventional per-user, Program Files, and
C:\Steam locations
steam.exe on PATH
Use steam_client_status to see the selected path and discovery source. For a portable or unusual custom-drive install, set STEAM_PATH to the directory containing steam.exe.
Installation/download tools read Steam's local app manifests. needs_update: true means Steam has already recorded an update as pending. false means no pending update is currently recorded locally; it does not force a network update check.
Privacy and safety
- Local tools read local Steam files and open Steam URIs; they do not require a Steam Web API key.
steam_launch_game only launches games found in a local installed-game manifest.- Steam starts hidden when required for an action, rather than opening a visible launcher window first.
- There is no purchase or uninstall tool.
- Public Store descriptions are omitted by default. If explicitly requested, descriptions are capped, converted to plain text, and marked as untrusted external content.
- Web API and Store responses are cached locally under
%LOCALAPPDATA%\steam-local-mcp\cache by default. Set STEAM_MCP_CACHE_DIR to override it, and call steam_refresh_cache to clear it.
Development
npm install
npm test
npm pack --dry-run
The test suite includes local parsing/caching tests, mocked Store and API tests, all-tool MCP protocol tests, and a real stdio handshake for the packaged entry point.
Contributing
Issues and pull requests are welcome. Please include a regression test for behavior changes, and keep destructive Steam operations out of scope unless they are explicitly designed and documented.
License
MIT