Endpoints Reference

HELIX Gaming DB is organized into three versioned tiers plus a root gateway manifest. All endpoints deliver static, gzip-compressed, UTF-8 JSON payloads with Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *.

🌐 Base URLs & Gateways

Endpoints can be requested through any of the following hosts:

🚪 Root Gateway Manifest

GET /api/manifest.json

The root manifest is the single entrypoint for discovering available API tiers, operational health, and gateway links.

Response Example

{
  "name": "HELIX Gaming DB",
  "description": "Open community REST metadata API and gaming database for PC, indie, Patreon, and emulation games.",
  "organization": "HELIX Origin",
  "website": "https://www.helix-origin.club/helix-gaming-db/",
  "repository": "https://github.com/HELIX-Origin/helix-gaming-db",
  "apiProxyUrl": "https://api.helix-origin.club/helix-gaming-db/",
  "updatedAt": "2026-10-17T08:48:30.846Z",
  "versions": {
    "v1": {
      "status": "active",
      "recommendedFor": "Lightweight client game launchers, media managers, and mobile frontends needing stable, flat endpoints.",
      "manifest": "/api/v1/manifest.json",
      "searchIndex": "/api/v1/search/index.json",
      "gamesEndpoint": "/api/v1/games/{slug}.json",
      "developersEndpoint": "/api/v1/developers/{slug}.json"
    },
    "v2": {
      "status": "active",
      "recommendedFor": "Modern applications, developer tools, relational discovery, catalog filtering, and PR/fork contribution workflows.",
      "manifest": "/api/v2/manifest.json",
      "catalog": "/api/v2/catalog/index.json",
      "searchIndex": "/api/v2/search/index.json",
      "taxonomies": {
        "genres": "/api/v2/genres/index.json",
        "platforms": "/api/v2/platforms/index.json",
        "tags": "/api/v2/tags/index.json",
        "publishers": "/api/v2/publishers/index.json",
        "developers": "/api/v2/developers/index.json"
      },
      "contributorTools": {
        "guide": "/api/v2/contribute/guide.json",
        "templates": "/api/v2/contribute/templates/",
        "schemas": "/api/v2/contribute/schemas/"
      },
      "stats": "/api/v2/stats/summary.json"
    },
    "v3": {
      "status": "active",
      "recommendedFor": "Dedicated Adult & 18+ Gaming REST API for NSFW launchers, Patreon creators, adult visual novel aggregators, and strict content segregation.",
      "contentRating": "Adults Only 18+",
      "manifest": "/api/v3/manifest.json",
      "catalog": "/api/v3/catalog/index.json",
      "searchIndex": "/api/v3/search/index.json",
      "gamesEndpoint": "/api/v3/games/{slug}.json",
      "taxonomies": {
        "developers": "/api/v3/developers/index.json",
        "platforms": "/api/v3/platforms/index.json",
        "tags": "/api/v3/tags/index.json"
      },
      "stats": "/api/v3/stats/summary.json"
    }
  }
}

⚡ Tier 1: Client Consumption API (/api/v1/)

The v1 tier is tailored for client game launchers (such as Universal Game Launcher), media frontends, and mobile apps requiring flat, predictable, backward-compatible JSON payloads.

1.1 V1 Manifest

GET /api/v1/manifest.json

Returns health metadata, indexed totals, and endpoint mappings for version 1.

1.2 V1 Search Index

GET /api/v1/search/index.json

A lightweight pre-indexed payload designed for instant client-side title search and token matching.

{
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "apiTier": "v1",
  "totalEntries": 80,
  "entries": [
    {
      "slug": "hades",
      "title": "Hades",
      "developers": ["Supergiant Games"],
      "publishers": ["Supergiant Games"],
      "releaseYear": 2020,
      "genres": ["Action", "Roguelike"],
      "capsuleImage": "https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1145360/library_600x900.jpg",
      "heroImage": "https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1145360/library_hero.jpg",
      "keys": ["hades", "supergiantgames"]
    }
  ]
}

1.3 V1 Game Metadata

GET /api/v1/games/{slug}.json

Retrieves the authoritative record for a specific game slug (e.g. /api/v1/games/hades.json).

1.4 V1 Developer Profile

GET /api/v1/developers/{slug}.json

Retrieves studio information, external website/storefront links, and associated game slugs (e.g. /api/v1/developers/supergiant-games.json).

🔍 Tier 2: Relational Discovery & Contributor Suite (/api/v2/)

The v2 tier offers multi-dimensional relational exploration, database analytics, and automated contributor starter templates for developer forks and Pull Requests.

2.1 V2 Manifest

GET /api/v2/manifest.json

Provides complete v2 route mapping and live count statistics.

2.2 V2 Catalog

GET /api/v2/catalog/index.json

Returns compact summary cards for all games in the database.

2.3 V2 Search Index

GET /api/v2/search/index.json

An expanded search index including media feature flags (hasVideoTrailer, hasSoundtrack) and platform support.

2.4 Relational Taxonomy Endpoints

Filter and explore titles across multiple structural dimensions:

2.5 Database Analytics

GET /api/v2/stats/summary.json

Returns real-time database metrics: total verified records, verification percentage, media asset counts, and taxonomy totals.

2.6 Contributor Suite Endpoints

Endpoints designed for programmatic integration, bot automation, and fork/PR contribution:

🔞 Tier 3: Dedicated Adult & 18+ Gaming API (/api/v3/)

The v3 tier provides a segregated database solely consisting of adult (18+) titles, Patreon-funded creations, itch.io adult visual novels, and erotic indie games.

Why a Dedicated Adult Tier?

• Strict Content Segregation: Downstream clients, school/family kiosks, or general game launchers can consume /api/v1/ or /api/v2/ without risk of displaying 18+ content.
• Dedicated NSFW Apps: Adult visual novel aggregators and NSFW game launchers can target /api/v3/ exclusively for tailored metadata.
• Specialized Taxonomies: Tags, platforms, and creator profiles are scoped exclusively to the adult gaming ecosystem.

3.1 Adult Manifest

GET /api/v3/manifest.json

Returns metadata scoped specifically to the 18+ collection.

3.2 Adult Catalog

GET /api/v3/catalog/index.json

Lists all 18+ titles with compact summary cards.

3.3 Adult Search Index

GET /api/v3/search/index.json

Pre-indexed search dictionary containing exclusively adult game titles, aliases, and creators.

3.4 Adult Games & Developers

• GET /api/v3/games/{slug}.json — Detailed metadata for an adult game.
• GET /api/v3/developers/index.json — Directory of studios authoring 18+ titles.
• GET /api/v3/developers/{slug}.json — Developer profile with their 18+ games catalog.

3.5 Adult Taxonomies & Analytics

• GET /api/v3/tags/index.json & GET /api/v3/tags/{slug}.json — Adult thematic tags (e.g. visual-novel, choices-matter, romance).
• GET /api/v3/platforms/index.json & GET /api/v3/platforms/{slug}.json — Platforms supported by adult titles.
• GET /api/v3/stats/summary.json — Metrics and counts for the adult collection.