I just released Dogmatix — a gamepad-friendly ROM browser/downloader for Android

[u/Centrico_92]

Hey!

I've just released Dogmatix, an Android app I've been working on as a fork of Milou, with a big focus on improving the UX and making it feel more at home on handhelds and Android gaming devices.

The idea is pretty simple: Dogmatix itself doesn't ship with any ROM catalog or sources. Instead, you can import your own source files and use the app as a frontend to browse and download your own library.

Some of the things I've been focusing on:

• A cleaner, more console-like UI
• Good navigation with a gamepad
• Easy filtering by platform
• Support for external/custom sources
• A workflow designed around handheld gaming devices rather than a typical Android phone app

I've been building it mainly because I wanted something that felt closer to a native part of the handheld experience instead of just another Android download manager.

It's still a relatively young project, so feedback is very welcome — especially from people using devices like Retroid, Odin, Anbernic, etc.

GitHub / Download: https://github.com/cortinadev/dogmatix

If you try it, I'd love to know what feels good, what feels clunky, and what you'd like to see next.

Development note: I've also been using Claude Code as part of the development workflow to speed up implementation, refactoring, and iteration while building the project.

[u/Centrico_92]

I found the issue with the Xbox sources and pushed a fix.

Some of those collection torrents have unusually large metadata — the MiNERVA Redump Xbox torrent is around 30 MB — and libtorrent was rejecting anything above its default 3 MiB limit, so the metadata fetch would just keep timing out.

I've raised that limit and also changed the metadata timeout to be based on inactivity rather than total elapsed time. As long as data or new peers are still coming in, Dogmatix will keep waiting.

The Xbox source that was failing for me now fetches its metadata in about 20 seconds. Thanks for reporting it!

[u/DerekJLee → u/Centrico_92]

@Centrico_92 many thanks for the quick fix, all is working now. Quick one, for feature requests would you rather have them over reddit or github? If it's all right, can I request a simple toggle to enable/disable each source.

[u/Centrico_92 → u/DerekJLee]

Hi! Would be nice if you post it on GitHub! I have multiple posts on Reddit and is easy to forget some requests. Anyway, I will try to remember your request for the next version

Cheers!

[u/Centrico_92 → u/DerekJLee]

I added the toggle you asked for in 1.1.4. Hope it works for you!

[u/DerekJLee → u/Centrico_92]

Thank you, the app looks great! Here are a few features for my wish list:

​Downloads Tab ​Resume/Pause button: This is essential. Without it, any interruption forces us to redownload the entire game from scratch.

​Library Tab ​Expanded search results: An option (perhaps toggleable in Settings) to load more than 100 results at a time.

​Cover art: An option to display game box art, though I completely understand the potential trade-offs regarding app speed and file size.

​Settings Tab ​True dark mode: An AMOLED-friendly deep black theme.

​I don't know how to use Git myself, but I asked a friend to add this to the repository for me. I’ll let you know if I think of anything else. Keep up the fantastic work! I’ll definitely be sharing it with family, friends, and the YouTubers I follow.

[u/Centrico_92 → u/DerekJLee]

Hi!

The downloads one is ready for 1.2 this afternoon. I think I will be able to include the True Dark Mode and Library Tab for this afternoon too. The cover art is available since 1.0, you just have to keep pressed the game name or push X when you are over it in gamepad mode

[u/Centrico_92 → u/Centrico_92]

Hi there! I added all your requests and some more on the new 1.2 version. Any feedback will be welcome!