Lumina Specification

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Play Smarter. Trade Safer. Shine Brighter.

Project Overview

Lumina is an open-source universal gaming platform designed to unify global game discovery, distribution, creator monetization, digital asset transactions, and gaming communities within a single ecosystem.

Lumina is designed to complement existing game distributors rather than requiring them to be replaced. The platform can index games from external distributors and provide direct links to their official game pages, downloads, storefronts, or launch platforms. Creators can also publish and sell games directly through Lumina.

The platform is designed around modular architecture, interoperability, security, privacy, creator ownership, global accessibility, and transparent revenue sharing.

Project Goals

Lumina should:

Create a comprehensive global directory of games.
Provide direct links to original game distributors.
Allow creators to publish and sell games directly.
Provide built-in profit-sharing capabilities.
Allow the platform to receive a configurable percentage of sales.
Support global fiat currencies and digital currencies.
Support peer-to-peer digital asset transactions.
Provide secure identity and KYC protocols.
Provide end-to-end encrypted communication.
Provide communities and forums.
Provide creator and game profiles.
Provide game discovery and trending features.
Provide interoperability with external gaming platforms.
Support extensibility through optional plugins.
Remain fully open source.
Avoid unnecessary vendor lock-in.

Core Architecture

Lumina uses a modular architecture in which major platform capabilities are implemented as independent core modules with defined interfaces.

Core modules should be independently testable, maintainable, extensible, and replaceable where practical.

Modules should communicate through documented internal APIs and service interfaces rather than tightly coupled implementations.

The architecture should support deployment as a unified application or as independently scalable services.

Core Game Discovery Module

The Game Discovery Module provides the central game directory.

Features include:

Global game catalog.
Game title indexing.
Game metadata.
Genres and categories.
Tags.
Screenshots.
Videos and trailers.
System requirements.
Release information.
Developer and publisher information.
Supported platforms.
Pricing information where available.
Availability information.
Reviews and ratings.
Game status information.
Search and filtering.
Sorting and discovery tools.
Regional availability.
Language availability.
Links to official game pages.
Links to official downloads.
Links to original distributors.
Duplicate detection.
Metadata normalization.
Distributor attribution.

External game listings should clearly identify the original distributor and direct users to the official source.

Core Distributor Integration Module

The Distributor Integration Module provides interoperability with external game stores, marketplaces, launchers, and distribution platforms.

Features include:

Distributor profiles.
Platform integrations.
Game catalog synchronization.
Metadata synchronization.
Availability synchronization.
Pricing synchronization where permitted.
External storefront links.
Platform identification.
Publisher identification.
Developer identification.
API integrations.
Import and synchronization tools.
Distributor-specific metadata mapping.
Duplicate game resolution.

Integrations should use official APIs, feeds, public data, or other authorized sources whenever available.

Core Creator Module

The Creator Module provides complete profiles for game developers and other contributors.

Features include:

Creator profiles.
Developer portfolios.
Published games.
Creator biographies.
Team information.
Studio profiles.
Publisher information.
Social links.
Websites.
Creator statistics.
Sales information.
Community participation.
Creator announcements.
Verification status.

Creators should be able to manage their public identity and control the information associated with their profile.

Core Publishing Module

The Publishing Module allows creators to publish games directly to Lumina.

Features include:

Game submission.
Game builds.
Version management.
Release management.
Storefront creation.
Pricing configuration.
Regional pricing.
Availability controls.
Early access.
Beta releases.
Demo releases.
Patch management.
Release notes.
System requirements.
Media management.
Content management.
Distribution controls.

Publishing workflows should support multiple contributors and organizations.

Core Monetization Module

The Monetization Module provides creator-first commerce functionality.

Features include:

Game sales.
Digital asset sales.
Creator storefronts.
Pricing.
Discounts.
Promotional pricing.
Bundles.
Preorders where legally permitted.
Subscriptions where supported.
Donations.
Creator funding.
Refund workflows.
Sales reporting.
Revenue reporting.
Transaction records.

Lumina should use a transparent platform fee model in which the host receives a defined percentage of eligible transactions.

Core Profit Sharing Module

Profit sharing is a foundational feature of Lumina.

The Profit Sharing Module provides programmable revenue allocation between authorized participants.

Features include:

Multiple revenue recipients.
Percentage-based revenue splits.
Fixed allocation rules.
Contributor roles.
Organization-level splits.
Automatic distribution calculations.
Revenue statements.
Payment records.
Royalty records.
Split history.
Agreement records.
Changes to future allocations.
Transaction-level accounting.

Revenue allocations should be calculated before the applicable platform fee where the configured commercial agreement requires that structure.

All financial calculations should use precise accounting representations and maintain auditable transaction records.

Core Payments Module

The Payments Module provides the infrastructure for global transactions.

Features include:

Fiat currency support.
Digital currency support.
User-selected currency preferences.
Payment processing.
Payment settlement.
Refunds.
Payouts.
Currency conversion.
Exchange rate handling.
Transaction records.
Payment status tracking.
Creator payouts.
Revenue-sharing payouts.

Payment providers should be implemented through provider adapters so that the core platform does not depend on a single payment provider.

Core Currency Module

The Currency Module manages global currency representation and conversion.

Features include:

Global fiat currencies.
Digital currencies.
Currency preferences.
Currency conversion.
Exchange rate sources.
Currency formatting.
Regional pricing.
Settlement currencies.
Transaction currencies.
Currency availability rules.

Users should be able to select supported currencies according to applicable payment, regulatory, and platform restrictions.

Core Digital Asset Module

The Digital Asset Module provides infrastructure for digital goods and transferable assets.

Features include:

Digital asset listings.
Asset ownership records.
Asset transfers.
Asset metadata.
Asset provenance.
Asset transaction history.
Creator-defined licensing.
Transfer restrictions.
Marketplace listings.
Peer-to-peer transactions.

Digital ownership must not be represented as legal ownership of intellectual property unless the applicable license explicitly grants those rights.

Core Peer-to-Peer Transaction Module

The Peer-to-Peer Transaction Module supports direct transactions between authorized users.

Features include:

Peer-to-peer digital asset transfers.
User-to-user payments where supported.
Transaction offers.
Transaction acceptance.
Escrow-compatible workflows.
Transaction verification.
Dispute records.
Transaction history.
Fraud detection.
Account restrictions.
Transfer authorization.

Peer-to-peer functionality must incorporate applicable financial, consumer protection, tax, sanctions, and marketplace requirements.

Core Identity Module

The Identity Module manages user accounts and secure identity.

Features include:

User registration.
Authentication.
Multi-factor authentication.
Account recovery.
Identity verification.
KYC integration.
Organization accounts.
Creator verification.
Age-related controls.
Account permissions.
Session management.
Device management.

Identity providers and verification providers should be replaceable through standardized adapters.

Core Security Module

Security is a foundational platform capability.

Features include:

Secure authentication.
Authorization.
Role-based permissions.
Encryption.
Key management.
Secure sessions.
Account protection.
Fraud detection.
Abuse prevention.
Security auditing.
Security event logging.
Rate limiting.
Vulnerability management.
Secure API communication.

Sensitive information should be encrypted at rest and in transit where appropriate.

Core Messaging Module

The Messaging Module provides private communication between users.

Features include:

End-to-end encrypted direct messages.
End-to-end encrypted group messages.
Conversation management.
Message attachments.
Message delivery status.
Message search where technically compatible with end-to-end encryption.
User blocking.
Abuse reporting.
Moderation workflows.
Message retention controls.

Encryption architecture should prioritize user privacy while providing appropriate abuse reporting mechanisms without weakening end-to-end encryption.

Core Community Module

The Community Module provides social functionality around games and creators.

Features include:

Game communities.
Creator communities.
Community forums.
Discussion threads.
Replies.
Community moderation.
User roles.
Community rules.
Announcements.
Community events.
Community discovery.
Reporting tools.

Communities should support configurable moderation policies while maintaining platform-wide safety requirements.

Core Profile Directory Module

The Profile Directory Module provides searchable profiles for games, creators, developers, studios, publishers, and communities.

Features include:

Global creator directory.
Developer directory.
Studio directory.
Publisher directory.
Game directory.
Community directory.
Search.
Filtering.
Categories.
Verification indicators.
Related games.
Related creators.
External links.

Core Discovery Module

The Discovery Module helps users find games and creators.

Features include:

Trending games.
New releases.
Popular games.
Rising games.
Indie discovery.
Genre discovery.
Personalized recommendations.
Community recommendations.
Creator spotlights.
Featured games.
Search.
Filters.
Ranking systems.

Discovery systems should provide transparent ranking signals where practical and avoid allowing paid placement to be presented as organic popularity.

Core Review and Rating Module

The Review and Rating Module provides community feedback.

Features include:

Game reviews.
Ratings.
Review editing.
Review reporting.
Review moderation.
Verified purchase indicators.
Playtime indicators where available.
Community ratings.
Developer responses.
Review aggregation.
Anti-manipulation systems.

Core Launcher and Distribution Module

The Launcher and Distribution Module provides optional direct game distribution functionality.

Features include:

Game installation.
Game updates.
Game version management.
Download management.
Local game libraries.
Launch management.
Uninstallation.
Patch management.
Download verification.
Platform compatibility.
Cloud synchronization.

The launcher should coexist with external distributors and should not require games to be exclusively distributed through Lumina.

Core Library Module

The Library Module provides users with a unified game library.

Features include:

Purchased games.
Free games.
Installed games.
External games.
Wishlist.
Favorites.
Recently played games.
Game collections.
Tags.
Play history.
Installation status.
Platform availability.

Where technically and legally permitted, external libraries should be connectable through distributor integrations.

Core Modding Module

The Modding Module provides support for game modifications and creator-created content.

Features include:

Mod discovery.
Mod publishing.
Mod profiles.
Version management.
Compatibility information.
Installation support.
Creator attribution.
Licensing information.
Mod ratings.
Mod reviews.
Mod communities.

Core Analytics Module

The Analytics Module provides creators and platform operators with useful statistics.

Creator features include:

Sales.
Downloads.
Revenue.
Conversion rates.
Game popularity.
Wishlist activity.
Geographic reporting.
Currency reporting.
Community engagement.
Revenue-sharing reports.

Analytics should use privacy-preserving practices and provide appropriate controls for user data.

Core Administration Module

The Administration Module provides platform management capabilities.

Features include:

User administration.
Creator administration.
Game moderation.
Community moderation.
Distributor management.
Payment configuration.
Plugin management.
KYC configuration.
Security administration.
Audit logs.
Policy management.
Platform analytics.

Core API Module

The API Module provides standardized interfaces for platform integrations.

Features include:

REST APIs where appropriate.
GraphQL APIs where appropriate.
Authentication.
Authorization.
Webhooks.
Event streams.
Distributor integrations.
Creator integrations.
Payment integrations.
Community integrations.
Plugin interfaces.

APIs should be documented and versioned.

Core Search Module

The Search Module provides unified search across the Lumina ecosystem.

Searchable content includes:

Games.
Creators.
Developers.
Studios.
Publishers.
Communities.
Mods.
Forums.
Digital assets.

Features include:

Full-text search.
Filters.
Faceted search.
Typo tolerance.
Relevance ranking.
Category filtering.
Platform filtering.
Genre filtering.
Language filtering.
Regional availability filtering.

Core Notification Module

The Notification Module provides configurable user notifications.

Features include:

Game updates.
Creator announcements.
Community activity.
Messages.
Sales.
Purchases.
Payouts.
Revenue-sharing events.
Security alerts.
Account activity.

Users should control notification preferences by category and delivery method.

Core Localization Module

The Localization Module provides global accessibility.

Features include:

Internationalization.
Translation support.
Localized game metadata.
Localized storefronts.
Currency localization.
Regional formatting.
Time zone handling.
Language preferences.

Core Moderation Module

The Moderation Module provides tools for maintaining safe and functional communities.

Features include:

Content reporting.
User reporting.
Game reporting.
Community moderation.
Automated moderation assistance.
Human moderation.
Appeals.
Moderator roles.
Moderation records.
Abuse prevention.
Fraud prevention.

Moderation systems should provide clear policies and auditable administrative actions.

Core Audit and Provenance Module

The Audit and Provenance Module provides verifiable records for important platform events.

Features include:

Game ownership records.
Creator attribution.
Revenue allocation records.
Payment records.
Digital asset history.
Administrative actions.
Distribution records.
Version history.
Content provenance.

Optional Plugin Modules

Lumina should provide a plugin architecture that allows additional capabilities to be installed without modifying the core platform.

Optional Blockchain Plugin

Provides optional blockchain functionality for:

Digital asset verification.
Ownership records.
Smart contract integration.
Creator royalties.
Blockchain wallets.
On-chain provenance.

Blockchain functionality must remain optional and should not be required for standard game purchases or platform operation.

Optional Cryptocurrency Payment Plugin

Provides additional cryptocurrency payment integrations.

Capabilities may include:

Cryptocurrency payments.
Wallet connections.
Cryptocurrency payouts.
Exchange rate integration.
Transaction verification.

Optional AI Recommendation Plugin

Provides advanced game discovery and recommendation capabilities.

Features may include:

Personalized recommendations.
Similar game discovery.
Creator recommendations.
Community trend analysis.
Natural language game search.
Recommendation explanations.

Optional Cloud Gaming Plugin

Provides integrations for cloud gaming services.

Features may include:

Cloud game launching.
Cloud gaming provider integration.
Streaming session management.
Compatibility detection.

Optional Game Streaming Plugin

Provides infrastructure for supported game streaming deployments.

Features may include:

Remote game sessions.
Streaming servers.
Session management.
Controller support.
Bandwidth management.

Optional Tournament Plugin

Provides competitive gaming functionality.

Features may include:

Tournament creation.
Brackets.
Match scheduling.
Leaderboards.
Player registration.
Tournament communities.
Prize distribution.

Optional Achievement Plugin

Provides cross-platform achievement functionality.

Features may include:

Game achievements.
Creator-defined achievements.
Universal achievements.
Achievement profiles.
Leaderboards.

Optional Cloud Save Plugin

Provides cloud synchronization for supported games.

Features may include:

Save synchronization.
Version history.
Conflict resolution.
Device synchronization.
Backup management.

Optional Advertising Plugin

Provides optional advertising capabilities.

Features may include:

Creator advertising.
Game promotion.
Sponsored placements.
Campaign management.
Advertising analytics.

Advertising must remain clearly distinguishable from organic discovery and platform rankings.

Optional Federation Plugin

Provides interoperability between independent Lumina installations.

Features may include:

Federated game discovery.
Federated creator profiles.
Federated communities.
Cross-instance identity.
Cross-instance messaging.
Federated marketplaces.

Optional External Store Plugin

Provides integration with third-party game stores and distributors.

Each integration should support only functionality permitted by the applicable platform and its APIs or published data policies.

Optional Developer SDK Plugin

Provides tools for developers integrating games and external services with Lumina.

Features may include:

Authentication libraries.
Game publishing APIs.
Payment APIs.
Community APIs.
Achievement APIs.
Inventory APIs.
Analytics APIs.

Specification Branding License (SBL)

Standard

Fully AGPL-3.0+ compliant system.
Copyleft enforced for network deployments.
Required attribution:
Roxanne Ardary.
https://www.roxanneardary.com/.

Optional

Specification Branding License (SBL)
Attribution-free commercial deployment.
Pricing based on scale, usage, and deployment scope.
https://roxanneardary.com/lumina/.

License & Notice Requirements

Lumina is released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0+).
By contributing to this project, you agree that your contributions will also be released under this license.

Please note the following:

All contributions must comply with the AGPL-3.0+ terms.
Under Section 7 of the license, all redistributions, forks, and derivative works must preserve attribution to:
Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com.
Lumina specifications are free to use with attribution. A Specification Branding License can be negotiated upon request.
The project’s notice.md file tracks attribution requirements and contributor acknowledgments. Any update that adds new contributors or modifies attribution should also update notice.md.
When submitting a pull request, ensure that any new files maintain the attribution headers where applicable.
Network-deployed versions of this software must also remain fully AGPL-3.0+ compliant, including exposure of source code modifications when applicable under the license.

For full legal details, please refer to the AGPL-3.0+ license and the project’s notice.md file.

Notice – Lumina

Attribution Requirement: Under Section 7 of the AGPL 3.0+ license, all redistributions, forks, and derivative works, including network-deployed versions of this project, must provide attribution to Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com.

Contributors

This file tracks contributors and their specific contributions to the project.

Roxanne Ardary, roxanneardary.com – March 10, 2026
Created the repository for Lumina. Designed the full open-source universal gaming platform including discovery, monetization, peer-to-peer transactions, and community features.
[Add other contributors here] – [Date]
[Describe contribution in one sentence]

License – Lumina

This repository is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0+).

Key Points:

You are free to use, modify, and distribute the code.
All redistributions, forks, and derivative works or network-deployed versions must also be licensed under AGPL-3.0+ and provide attribution to Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com as required under Section 7 of the license.
The software is provided “as is,” without warranty of any kind.

For the full license text, see GNU AGPL-3.0 License.