API Reference

GameData Central API

A REST API for structured indie game metadata. All endpoints return JSON. Authentication uses API key headers on rate-limited routes.

Base URL https://gamedatacentral.com
Authentication

Pass your API key in the X-API-Key request header. Keys are free to generate \u2014 create an account to get yours.

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Public endpoints work without an API key on the shared free limit. Adding an X-API-Key header identifies your usage and is required for /api/auth/key-info.
cURL
$ curl https://gamedatacentral.com/api/games \
  -H "X-API-Key: your_api_key_here"
Rate Limits

Limits are enforced per API key per calendar day (UTC). Exceeding the limit returns HTTP 429 until midnight UTC.

TierDaily RequestsPriceUse Case
Free 100 / day $0 Personal projects, prototypes, exploration
Developer 5,000 / day $19 / mo Apps, tools, indie game sites
Business Custom SLA Custom Commercial products, partner integrations, high-traffic services
Error Responses

All errors return JSON with an error field and appropriate HTTP status code.

StatusMeaning
400Bad request \u2014 missing or invalid parameters
401Unauthorized \u2014 missing or invalid API key
404Not found \u2014 game ID or resource doesn't exist
429Rate limit exceeded \u2014 try again after midnight UTC
500Internal server error
JSON Error Response
{
  "error": "API key required. Pass X-API-Key header."
}
Games

Retrieve and search the full game catalog with rich metadata.

GET /api/games List all games \u25bc
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API keys are optional here. Pass X-API-Key if you want requests attributed to your key instead of the anonymous free pool.
Query Parameters
ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
genrestringoptionalFilter by genre (e.g. Roguelike)
platformstringoptionalFilter by platform (e.g. PC, Switch)
tagstringoptionalFilter by tag (e.g. roguelike)
searchstringoptionalSubstring match across title and description
year_minintegeroptionalMinimum release year
year_maxintegeroptionalMaximum release year
sortstringoptionalrating | year | alpha
limitintegeroptionalMax results (default: 20, max: 500)
offsetintegeroptionalPagination offset (default: 0)
cURL
$ curl "https://gamedatacentral.com/api/games?genre=Roguelike&year_min=2020&sort=rating&limit=5" \
  -H "X-API-Key: your_api_key_here"
Response
JSON
[
  {
    "id":           "hades",
    "title":        "Hades",
    "genre":        ["Roguelike", "Action"],
    "platform":     ["PC", "Switch", "PS4", "Xbox One"],
    "release_year": 2020,
    "developer":    "Supergiant Games",
    "publisher":    "Supergiant Games",
    "rating":       9.3,
    "tags":         ["roguelike", "hack-and-slash", "story-rich"],
    "description":  "Defy the god of the dead..."
  }
]
GET /api/games/:id Get a single game \u25bc
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API keys are optional here. Use one if you want the request counted against your account instead of the anonymous free pool.
Path Parameters
ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
idstringrequiredGame slug (e.g. hades, hollow-knight)
cURL
$ curl https://gamedatacentral.com/api/games/hollow-knight \
  -H "X-API-Key: your_api_key_here"
Response
JSON
{
  "id":           "hollow-knight",
  "title":        "Hollow Knight",
  "genre":        ["Metroidvania", "Action", "Platformer"],
  "platform":     ["PC", "Switch", "PS4", "Xbox One"],
  "release_year": 2017,
  "developer":    "Team Cherry",
  "publisher":    "Team Cherry",
  "rating":       9.4,
  "tags":         ["indie", "dark", "atmospheric", "challenging"],
  "description":  "A challenging 2D action-adventure..."
}
GET /api/games/stats Catalog statistics \u2014 no auth required \u25bc

Returns aggregate statistics about the game catalog. No API key needed \u2014 useful for dashboards and status checks.

cURL
$ curl https://gamedatacentral.com/api/games/stats
Response
JSON
{
  "total_games":    59,
  "genres":         ["Action", "Roguelike", "..."],
  "platforms":      ["PC", "Switch", "..."],
  "year_range":     {"min": 2006, "max": 2024}
}
Guides

Community-authored walkthroughs, tips, builds, and lore entries for games in the catalog.

GET /api/guides List published guides \u25bc

Returns published guides. No API key required.

Query Parameters
ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
game_idstringoptionalFilter by game slug (e.g. hades)
typestringoptionalwalkthrough | tips | builds | lore
limitintegeroptionalMax results (default: 50, max: 100)
cURL
$ curl "https://gamedatacentral.com/api/guides?game_id=hades&type=builds"
Response
JSON
{
  "guides": [
    {
      "id":         12,
      "slug":       "top-hades-builds-spear-bow-and-fist-meta",
      "game_id":    "hades",
      "game_title": "Hades",
      "type":       "builds",
      "title":      "Top Hades Builds: Spear, Bow, and Fist Meta",
      "summary":    "Optimized weapon builds...",
      "score":      14,
      "view_count": 231,
      "created_at": "2025-03-07T12:00:00"
    }
  ],
  "total": 3
}
Key Management

Programmatic API key creation and introspection. Primarily used by the dashboard \u2014 account holders manage keys at /account.

POST /api/auth/request-key Generate an API key \u25bc
Request Body (JSON)
FieldTypeRequiredDescription
namestringrequiredYour name
emailstringrequiredYour email address
use_casestringrequiredWhat you plan to build
cURL
$ curl -X POST https://gamedatacentral.com/api/auth/request-key \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"Jane Dev","email":"[email protected]","use_case":"Game discovery app"}'
Response
JSON
{
  "api_key": "gdc_a1b2c3d4e5f6...",
  "email":   "[email protected]",
  "tier":    "free",
  "message": "Welcome, Jane Dev! Your free-tier API key is ready..."
}
GET /api/auth/key-info Inspect your key's usage \u25bc
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Pass your key in X-API-Key. Returns usage for the current UTC day.
cURL
$ curl https://gamedatacentral.com/api/auth/key-info \
  -H "X-API-Key: your_api_key_here"
Response
JSON
{
  "key":         "gdc_...a1b2",
  "tier":        "free",
  "daily_limit": 100,
  "used_today":  14,
  "remaining":   86
}
GET /api/auth/tiers List available tiers \u2014 no auth required \u25bc
cURL
$ curl https://gamedatacentral.com/api/auth/tiers
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