Platform Builds

Build for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Supported Platforms

macOS

Architecture	Target	Description
Universal	macos-universal	Intel + Apple Silicon in one app
ARM64	macos-arm64	Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3)
x64	macos-x64	Intel Macs

Output: .app bundle

Universal Build

The Universal option creates a single .app that runs natively on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. This is the recommended choice for distribution as users only need one download.

Windows

Architecture	Target	Description
x64	windows-x64	64-bit (most common)
ARM64	windows-arm64	ARM-based devices
x86	windows-ia32	32-bit (legacy)

Output: .exe (portable) or directory with DLLs

Linux

Architecture	Target	Description
x64	linux-x64	64-bit (most common)
ARM64	linux-arm64	ARM devices (Raspberry Pi 4+)

Output: AppImage (single file) or directory

Package Format

GemShell offers two package formats for Windows and Linux builds:

Single File (Default)

Platform	Format	Description
Windows	Portable .exe	Single executable, no installation needed
Linux	AppImage	Universal Linux format, runs on most distros
macOS	.app bundle	Always a directory (macOS standard)

Best for: Direct distribution, itch.io, easy sharing

Directory

Platform	Format	Description
Windows	Folder with .exe	Executable with separate resource files
Linux	Folder	Executable with separate resource files
macOS	.app bundle	Same as Single File

Best for: Steam (delta updates), debugging, faster iteration

Steam Recommendation

For Steam distribution, use Directory format. Steam's delta patching works best with unpacked files, resulting in smaller update downloads for your players.

Build Output Structure

Directory Format

~/GemShell-Builds/
└── GameTitle-1.0.0/
    ├── mac-universal/
    │   └── GameTitle.app/
    │       └── Contents/
    │           ├── MacOS/          # Universal binary
    │           ├── Resources/
    │           └── Info.plist
    ├── mac-arm64/
    │   └── GameTitle.app/
    ├── mac-x64/
    │   └── GameTitle.app/
    ├── win-x64/
    │   ├── GameTitle.exe
    │   ├── resources/
    │   └── *.dll
    ├── linux-x64/
    │   ├── GameTitle
    │   └── resources/
    └── ...

Single File Format

~/GemShell-Builds/
└── GameTitle-1.0.0/
    ├── mac-universal/
    │   └── GameTitle.app/          # Always .app bundle
    ├── GameTitle-windows-x64.exe   # Portable EXE
    ├── GameTitle-linux-x64.AppImage
    └── ...

Cross-Platform Building

GemShell can build for all platforms from any host OS:

Host OS	Can Build For
macOS	macOS, Windows, Linux
Windows	Windows, Linux
Linux	Linux

TIP

Build from macOS to create all platform builds in one go.

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS

• Apps are code-signed for local use
• For distribution, you need an Apple Developer certificate
• Notarization required for macOS 10.15+

Windows

• No code signing by default
• Consider signing for distribution
• 32-bit builds for legacy Windows support

Linux

• Executable needs chmod +x on some systems
• Consider AppImage for easier distribution
• Test on target distributions

Recommended Targets

For most games, build these targets:

1. macos-universal - All Macs (Intel + Apple Silicon)
2. windows-x64 - Most Windows users
3. linux-x64 - Linux users

Add these if needed:

• macos-arm64 / macos-x64 - If you need separate builds
• windows-arm64 - Surface Pro X, etc.
• windows-ia32 - Very old Windows
• linux-arm64 - Raspberry Pi, etc.

TIP

Use Universal for macOS whenever possible. It creates a single download that works on all Macs, simplifying distribution.

Distribution

Steam

Upload platform-specific builds to Steam depots. Use Directory format for best delta patching:

Depot	Builds	Format
Windows	windows-x64	Directory
macOS	macos-universal	Directory (.app)
Linux	linux-x64	Directory

itch.io

Upload each platform build separately. Use Single File format for easy downloads:

Platform	File
Windows	GameTitle-windows-x64.exe
macOS	GameTitle.app (zip the .app folder)
Linux	GameTitle-linux-x64.AppImage

Direct Distribution

For Single File builds:

cd ~/GemShell-Builds/GameTitle-1.0.0/

# macOS: zip the .app bundle
zip -r GameTitle-macos.zip mac-universal/GameTitle.app

# Windows & Linux are already single files
# GameTitle-windows-x64.exe
# GameTitle-linux-x64.AppImage

For Directory builds:

cd ~/GemShell-Builds/GameTitle-1.0.0/
zip -r GameTitle-macos.zip mac-universal/
zip -r GameTitle-windows.zip win-x64/
zip -r GameTitle-linux.zip linux-x64/