How to find Epic Game Store (EGS) games' launch name for their launch command?

This was an interesting challenge.

First, I created a couple of shortcuts for a number of different games, and had a look at the .url file it created on my desktop. All the links are of the form:

com.epicgames.launcher://apps/[codename]?action=launch&silent=true

Where [codename] is different for each game. For example:

• Metro Exodus: "Snapdragon"
• Batman Arkham Knight: "Cowbird"
• Hello Neighbor: "Ursus"

Since the EGS Launcher must know each of the games' codenames to create these shortcuts, I figured there must be some kind of config file somewhere on my computer, which lists the different codenames and where the games are installed.

So I used Visual Studio Code to perform a search in all files in my C: directory to find one of the codenames, and I found a nice list in:

C:ProgramDataEpicUnrealEngineLauncherLauncherInstalled.dat

Despite being a .dat, it's not a binary file, so it can be opened in any text editor app.

The list is a JSON, and contains only the games that have been installed on your PC. It may contain DLCs as well. Here's what mine looks like:

{
    "InstallationList": [
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesMetroExodus",
            "AppName": "SnapdragonDLC1",
            "AppVersion": "0.1.0.17"
        },
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesYookaLaylee",
            "AppName": "Duckbill",
            "AppVersion": "1.0.27910"
        },
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesHelloNeighbor",
            "AppName": "Ursus",
            "AppVersion": "1.4.1"
        },
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesWorldOfGoo",
            "AppName": "Anemone",
            "AppVersion": "1.53"
        },
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesBatmanArkhamKnight",
            "AppName": "Cowbird",
            "AppVersion": "1.98"
        },
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesBatmanArkhamAsylum",
            "AppName": "Godwit",
            "AppVersion": "1.93"
        },
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesTheTalosPrinciple",
            "AppName": "Bustard",
            "AppVersion": "461288"
        },
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesQUBE2",
            "AppName": "Auk",
            "AppVersion": "1.2"
        },
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesMetroExodus",
            "AppName": "Snapdragon",
            "AppVersion": "0.1.0.24"
        },
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesTheOuterWorlds",
            "AppName": "Rosemallow",
            "AppVersion": "Rel1.2.0.418"
        },
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesTABS",
            "AppName": "Driftfish",
            "AppVersion": "0.8.7_02"
        },
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesAxiomVerge",
            "AppName": "Puffin",
            "AppVersion": "1.47"
        },
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesMetro2033Redux",
            "AppName": "Petunia",
            "AppVersion": "0.1.0.0"
        },
        {
            "InstallLocation": "C:Program FilesEpic GamesBatmanArkhamCity",
            "AppName": "Egret",
            "AppVersion": "1.7"
        }
    ]
}

Interestingly, a copy of the list can also be found in another location:

C:UsersAll UsersEpicUnrealEngineLauncherLauncherInstalled.dat

I'm not sure which file is used in which context, but they both have exactly the same content. If your purpose is to simply create a launcher, either file should work.