Desktop Widget for Desktop Games

Hi everyone,

I’m experimenting with GDevelop to create a small idle “widget” game that stays visible on the desktop—just like Cornerpond or Rusty’s Retirement. The idea is a game that automatically “fishes” in the corner of your screen while you work, without using a traditional window.

To make this possible, it would be great if GDevelop provided the following native features:

  1. Borderless Window
  • An option to remove the title bar and window borders on Windows/macOS/Linux.
  1. Per-Pixel Transparency
  • Support for true transparency on individual pixels (alpha channel) rather than only global window opacity, so the desktop shows through and animations remain smooth.
  1. Always-on-Top
  • A built-in “Always on Top” toggle that persists even when switching focus to other applications.
  1. Fixed Window Position
  • Ability to set the initial window position (e.g., top-left or bottom-right corner) and lock it so users can’t drag it around.
  1. System Tray Minimization
  • Option to minimize the game to the system tray instead of closing it, keeping it running in the background.
  1. (For Reference) Godot Engine Support
    *Godot Engine (since v3.1) already offers borderless, per-pixel transparency and always-on-top windows via simple project settings (Display → Window → Borderless & Transparency, plus get_tree().get_root().set_transparent_background(true) in GDScript). Having something equally turnkey in GDevelop would be fantastic!

Currently, GDevelop offers some relevant actions (Window Position, Make Window Always on Top, Window Opacity), but lacks borderless mode and per-pixel transparency. Adding these would open up the possibility to build seamless desktop widgets that integrate perfectly with the user’s workspace.


Looking forward to your feedback,
A GDevelop user

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