I have many installed games, from various sources/stores/frontends (Steam, GOG, Humble Store and Lutris with modules like DOSBox, Libretro, WINE and ScummVM).
Unfortunately many game developers elect their own path under the user home folder to keep game related files (saves, configs, etc). There is clearly no standard or consensus in this aspect of linux gaming.
Most of those paths are under a few standard subfolders like:
/home/user/Documents/HardWest
/home/user/.config/BossConstructor
/home/user/.local/Uber Entertainment/Planetary Annihilation
/home/user/.local/share/Aspyr/Sid Meier's Civilization 5
But some create their own hidden folder put directly into the user home folder like:
/home/user/.BADLAND
/home/user/.frictionalgames/Amnesia
/home/user/.prefs
And some create visible folders there like (7 visible ones now and counting, those are the worst ofenders):
/home/user/LoversInADangerousSpacetime
/home/user/Larian Studios/Divinity Original Sin Enhanced Edition
/home/user/My Games/Orwell
And even some that use multiple paths like:
/home/user/Nongunz
/home/user/.config/nongunz
This is starting to get too messy, so I want to move them into a "games" subfolder or such, and keep my home folder clean.
I have searched online for a way to transparently redirect the game into using a new path to store their files, but all I get is mounting or symlinking. Since the idea is to eliminate those folders, not just link them, that doesn't solve the issue.
Changing the working folder doesn't seem to work either, but I might be missing something here...
Passing a parameter or setting an environment variable to each game/frontend is an acceptable solution, but I would prefer something I can set globally like a from-to table of paths. I have admin rights to the machine in question.
Is there something available (gui, cli or config) on Ubuntu, bash, linux kernel, ...?
PS: If it works well intend to somehow link the answers as a feature request/code contribution to https://github.com/supremesonicbrazil/SLSK