Installation and First Run

Follow these five steps to prepare the launcher and detect or install the game. You can reuse an existing game without uninstalling the official launcher.

1. Check your platform

Platform	Packages
Windows 10 1809+ / Windows 11 x64	Installer, portable ZIP
macOS Apple Silicon	.app ZIP
Linux x64	DEB, RPM, Arch package, AppImage, tar.gz

Packages include the .NET Runtime. Confirm that the game directory is writable, disk space is sufficient, and your network can reach the selected download source.

WARNING

macOS and Linux builds are experimental. macOS cannot launch the game. Linux requires separately installed UMU / Proton or Wine, and anti-cheat compatibility is not guaranteed for your setup.

2. Download the right package

Open Releases and download the complete package:

Filename	Use
Cafe.Launcher_v*_setup.exe	Standard Windows installation
Cafe.Launcher_v*_win-x64.zip	Portable Windows build
Cafe.Launcher_v*_osx-arm64.zip	Apple Silicon Mac
Cafe.Launcher_v*_linux-x64.deb	Debian, Ubuntu, and related distributions
Cafe.Launcher_v*_linux-x64.rpm	Fedora, openSUSE, and related distributions
Cafe.Launcher_v*_linux-x64.pkg.tar.zst	Arch Linux
Cafe.Launcher_v*_linux-x64.AppImage	Run on Linux without installation
Cafe.Launcher_v*_linux-x64.tar.gz	Manual Linux deployment

Older packages may use the Cafe.Launcher.Avalonia prefix. Choose the latest stable release for everyday use; beta and other prerelease labels identify testing builds.

3. Install the launcher

Use the instructions for your package. Exit the old version before manually upgrading. Application files, game files, and user data are stored separately.

Windows installer

1. Run the installer and select English, Simplified Chinese, or Japanese. This choice affects only the installer; choose the launcher language during setup.
2. Accept the administrator prompt and check the destination, normally C:\Program Files\Cafe Launcher.
3. Optionally create a desktop shortcut, finish, and run Cafe Launcher.

Installation, upgrades, and uninstallation apply to all users and require administrator permission. Installing over an existing version preserves separate user data and game files.

Installer screenshots (Chinese)

Windows portable build

Extract the whole ZIP, then run Cafe.Launcher.exe. Do not run from an archive preview. Keep all accompanying dependencies and the video runtime.

The portable build has no standard uninstall entry. Settings and logs still use the system user data directory. Verified in-app updates work for both portable and installed builds. For manual replacement, exit first and replace the complete application directory.

macOS

Extract osx-arm64.zip and move Cafe Launcher.app to Applications. This build requires Apple Silicon.

It can install, update, and repair game files; launching the Windows game is currently unavailable.

Linux

Package	Installation or launch
DEB / RPM	Use the corresponding distribution package manager
Arch package	sudo pacman -U ./Cafe.Launcher_v<version>_linux-x64.pkg.tar.zst with the actual filename
AppImage	Grant executable permission, then run
tar.gz	Extract and run Cafe.Launcher

System packages provide the cafe-launcher command. If no window appears, launch from a terminal and install missing graphics, font, or other system libraries reported there.

Packages do not install Wine, UMU, or Proton. Prepare a compatibility runtime before launching the game. Linux packages and AppImage default to YostarGames/BlueArchive_JP under your home directory for game files.

4. Complete first-time setup

Step	What to confirm
Language	Launcher interface language
Download source	Official supplies original JP resources; Cafe supplies resources from the BlueArchive.Cafe Chinese localization team
Game installation path	Choose a base directory or existing installation and check the final YostarGames/BlueArchive_JP path
Proxy	Automatic detection, direct connection, or system proxy
Confirm your settings	Review and finish, or return to edit an earlier step

Chinese system languages default to Cafe; other languages default to Official. Stable builds default to the stable update channel, and prerelease builds to beta.

Skipping setup or pressing Esc asks for confirmation before applying defaults. Settings can be changed later.

5. Detect or install the game

For existing files, select the BlueArchive_JP directory. The launcher reads manifest.json and game-launcher-config.json and detects valid installations without downloading the whole game again. Incomplete files are filled in against the selected manifest.

For a new installation, select Install Game and wait for download and verification. Pause and resume are available during transfer.

Screenshots show the Chinese interface and may be from an earlier version. Continue with Game operations or the Settings reference.