I apologize for any inconveniences or disappointment this may cause. Online (PLAY TOGETHER) features will no longer function dependably, but I will leave them up as long as I can. For similar functionality please check the Dad's MMO Lab discord.

Thank you.

Run a private WoW 3.3.5a server on your Steam Deck, fill it with hundreds of AI players, build a party of bots, and tweak everything from a friendly, clickable app.
No terminal. No command line. No guesswork.

🎉 THE LAB is here —
Download TheLab.AppImage · Watch or ⭐ the repo to be notified about updates.

Latest release: v0.0.5 | 06.09.26 @ 1.16AM UTC  ·  Download  ·  Installation instructions

Setting up a private WoW server is normally a weekend of terminal commands. The Lab turns it into a few clicks. It wraps the open-source AzerothCore server and mod-playerbots behind a desktop app built for people who love games, not developers.

Install a server, populate your world with AI players, summon a full party of bots, mail yourself any item, teleport anywhere, and fine-tune how it all works — all from Steam Deck Gaming Mode.

You bring your own game client. The Lab only orchestrates open-source server emulators. It never includes, distributes, or links to Blizzard game files — you point it at your own legally-obtained WoW 3.3.5a (Wrath of the Lich King) client. (These are easily located).

• Install a complete WoW 3.3.5a server (AzerothCore + Playerbots) from a single button — Docker, database, modules, and bots are all set up for you.
• Start / stop / restart with a live, human-readable console — no scrolling raw logs.
• Auto-shutdown: the server quits on its own when you close WoW, so it never drains the Deck in the background.
• Built for Steam Deck Gaming Mode — add it to Steam and launch it from the couch. (Also runs on Linux desktops; Windows support is on the roadmap.)

• A live character paper-doll showing your equipped gear, level, and class.
• Gear and Talents views in one place, with quick actions.

• Hundreds of AI players live in your world — they quest, run dungeons, raid, trade, and chat like real people, so a solo server never feels empty.
• My Party — build a 5-man group of bots. For each slot you pick a role → class → spec → talent build → level, and The Lab spawns the bot, gears it, applies its talents, and teleports it right to you. Support for larger raid groups is on the way.

• Party Presets — save a party composition and re-summon the exact same group any time, or share it with friends. Ships with ready-made example parties.

• Talent trees — browse any class's full talent layout, exactly like in-game.
  
  

• Global bot settings — control how many bots populate the world, their level range, what they do (questing, dungeons, battlegrounds), and performance tuning so it stays smooth on a Deck.

• Search the entire item database with quality and class filters, real icons, and full tooltips.
• Send any item straight to your character through in-game mail — whether you're online or offline.

• Beam your character to any of thousands of named locations, or to exact map coordinates. Save your favorites for one-tap travel.

• Powered by AH Bot Plus, a bot that keeps your auction house stocked and active so the in-game economy feels alive — all tuned from a friendly UI, with no SQL or config-file editing.
• Control the seller bot (how many listings per cycle, listing duration) and the buyer bot (items considered per cycle, max buyout), set how often each cycle runs, and tune per-faction house sizes — with Basic and Advanced views. Changes apply on the next bot cycle, no server restart needed.

• Pick your features. Choose which optional AzerothCore modules are compiled into your server — Auction House Bot, Solocraft, Auto Balance, Transmogrification, Individual Progression, AoE Loot, and more. Changing the set rebuilds the worldserver (a few minutes); your characters and data are kept.

• Tune each module. Edit a module's raw config right inside the app — changes are staged until you press Apply, then take effect on the next restart. No digging through .conf files on disk.

• Already set up a server the manual way? The Lab detects it and migrates it in with a quick upgrade that adds remote control and the bot bridge — so the app can manage it while your characters and data are left untouched.

• Data enrichment — pulls icons, tooltips, and talent data from your own WoW client so everything shows real names and art.
• Character backup & restore — portable backup files. Back up before a rebuild, or move characters between installs, without losing progress.
• Steam integration — adds The Lab (and your WoW client) to Steam as non-Steam games, complete with artwork, ready for Gaming Mode.
• Controller support, Warcraft cursor themes, and audio options.
• World settings — adjust XP, gold, drop rates, and other server knobs.
• In-app updates — new versions install in place; your server, characters, and settings are left untouched.

Open your world so friends can hop in with their own characters and keep their progress. A revolutionary new way to experience the world's favorite classic MMO experience.

• A Steam Deck (SteamOS) is the primary target. Also runs on Linux desktops; Windows support is planned.
• Your own WoW 3.3.5a (Wrath of the Lich King) game client. The Lab never provides game files.
• Roughly 15 GB of free space for the server.

The whole setup is done once in Desktop Mode, then you play from Gaming Mode. Follow these steps in order — nothing here is left to guesswork.

1. Switch to Desktop Mode. On the Steam Deck, press STEAM → Power → Switch to Desktop. You'll land on a normal Linux desktop.

2. Set a password. Open Konsole (the terminal app, in the taskbar or app menu), type passwd, and press Enter. Choose a password and confirm it. Steam Decks ship without one, and The Lab needs it to install the server with the right permissions. You only need to do this once, so if you already have a root password, you can skip this.

3. Get your WoW 3.3.5a client. Obtain a Wrath of the Lich King (3.3.5a) client of your choice and keep it somewhere you can find it. The Lab never provides game files — you supply your own legally-obtained client.

4. Download The Lab. Grab TheLab.AppImage from the latest release and move it somewhere permanent — a folder like Home → MyGames works great. (Don't run it from the Downloads folder.)

5. Make it runnable, then open it. Right-click TheLab.AppImage → Properties → the Permissions tab → check "Is executable" → OK. Now double-click it to launch. (One-time step — an AppImage won't open until it's marked executable.)

   Advanced users: if you've enabled Developer Mode in KDE Plasma (or already allow executing programs by default), AppImages may just run on double-click and you can skip the checkbox. When in doubt, do it anyway — it never hurts.

6. Install your server. The app walks you through it — click Install server and follow along on screen. The first Playerbots install compiles from source, so grab a coffee; after that, starting up takes seconds.

7. Add to Steam in one click. Open Settings and use Add to Steam — it adds both The Lab and your WoW client to Steam as non-Steam games, with artwork.

8. Back to the couch. Return to Gaming Mode (the Return to Gaming Mode shortcut on the desktop). The Lab and your WoW client are now in your Steam library — start, manage, and play your server entirely from Gaming Mode. 🎮

The Lab is a labor of love for dads who love games, not developers — making it dead-simple to relive WoW in your own private world that's full of life. It orchestrates only open-source emulators (AzerothCore, mod-playerbots, and friends) and never includes copyrighted game clients or assets.

Presented by 0xVe1L and Dad's MMO Lab.

Special thanks to the members of the Dad's MMO Lab Discord for testing and support <3