What is melon-loader-download?

Melon Loader Download is a small Windows tool that downloads and installs Melon Loader, a popular mod loader used with Unity based games such as VRChat, Gorilla Tag, and Among Us. Melon Loader itself is the thing that lets those games load community made mods. This project is not the mod loader itself, it is a convenience installer for it. To use it, you download a zip file from the releases page, extract it, and run the included executable as an administrator. From there you pick your installed game from a list and click install, and the tool downloads and sets up Melon Loader for that game automatically. Once that is done, you launch the game normally and mods can be loaded, with the README suggesting you place downloaded mods into a Mods folder inside the game's directory. The README lists its main features as one click installation, automatic detection of supported Unity games, support for both the IL2CPP and Mono versions of Unity games, and regular updates to keep pace with new Melon Loader releases. It requires 64 bit Windows 10 or 11, an already installed Unity based game, administrator privileges, and an internet connection. The README includes a clear warning: Melon Loader is meant for single player and private use, and using mods in official online multiplayer games can get your account banned. It also recommends only downloading the tool from the official GitHub repository, scanning the downloaded file with VirusTotal before running it, and backing up your game files first, since it is a third party executable with administrator access. The project welcomes contributions to improve the downloader or add support for more games, and it is released under the MIT license.