# Game not launching using it's .exe file (workaround)
**URL:** https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/game-not-launching-using-its-exe-file-workaround/52505
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [February 28, 2019, 5:53pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/game-not-launching-using-its-exe-file-workaround/52505 "2019-02-28T17:53:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Praam](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Praam)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2019, 5:53pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/game-not-launching-using-its-exe-file-workaround/52505/1 "2019-02-28T17:53:50Z")
Posting this in case it helps someone else.
It’s an old issue, been around since the Unity switch so I assume it’s a known one and it isn’t going away any time soon 🙂
I use a launcher for anything and everything on PC. alt+space, enter a few letters and a game/program will pop up
Gems of War is the only game that refuses to launch this way - I have to launch it through Steam or a separate desktop shortcut, which is annoying. If I launch the executable the game will start, do a loading screen, then close, pass over to Steam and then it’s either nothing (if first launch after reboot) or “another instance is already running”.
The internet shortcut style Steam creates isn’t helpful either for it’s not a .lnk nor an executable:
```auto
steam://rungameid/329110
```
The workaround I found is to launch it as a command line argument to Steam:
```auto
steam.exe -applaunch 329110
```
---
### Author:  [@Cyrup](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Cyrup)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2019, 3:03am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/game-not-launching-using-its-exe-file-workaround/52505/2 "2019-03-15T03:03:12Z")
Thanks for posting this! That’s weird, does it happen for other games run through Steam as well (not just other games in general)? The shortcut to the desktop or an .exe causes a weird double lanuch as opposed to launching the game through Steam.
---
### Author:  [@Praam](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Praam)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2019, 4:18am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/game-not-launching-using-its-exe-file-workaround/52505/3 "2019-03-15T04:18:39Z")
This is the only Steam game I have that won’t launch, everything else works with direct .exe launch, no special shortcuts needed.
It used to be the first launch would fizzle out in the same way but then second try would go through. That’s long gone too.