Pastel
A Matrix bot that posts gaming deals and free game alerts to a specified Matrix room.
Deals are sourced from PC/digital storefronts only (Steam, GOG, Humble Store, GreenManGaming, Epic Games Store) — universally accessible regardless of region.
Data Sources
- CheapShark — polled every 2 hours for top deals across Steam, GOG, Humble Store, and GreenManGaming
- Epic Games Store — polled daily for free game promotions
- IsThereAnyDeal (optional) — flags deals that are at an all-time historical low price
Quick Start
- Copy
.env.exampleto.envand fill in your Matrix credentials and room ID - Run with Docker:
docker build -t pastel .
docker run --env-file .env -v pastel-data:/data pastel
Or run directly with Python 3.12+:
pip install -r requirements.txt
python -m gaming_deals_bot
Configuration
All configuration is via environment variables (see .env.example):
| Variable | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
MATRIX_HOMESERVER_URL |
Yes | — | Matrix homeserver URL |
MATRIX_BOT_USER_ID |
Yes | — | Bot's Matrix user ID |
MATRIX_BOT_ACCESS_TOKEN |
Yes | — | Bot's access token |
MATRIX_DEALS_ROOM_ID |
Yes | — | Room ID to post deals in |
ITAD_API_KEY |
No | — | IsThereAnyDeal API key for historical low detection |
MIN_DEAL_RATING |
No | 80 | Minimum CheapShark deal rating (0-100) |
MIN_DISCOUNT_PERCENT |
No | 50 | Minimum discount percentage |
MAX_PRICE_USD |
No | 20 | Maximum sale price in USD |
DATABASE_PATH |
No | deals.db | Path to SQLite database file |
Behavior
- First run: fetches current deals and records them in the database without posting (avoids spamming the room with existing deals)
- Deduplication: deals are tracked by game ID + timestamp; duplicates are never reposted
- Pruning: deals older than 30 days are pruned from the database so they can be reposted if they return
- One message per deal: each deal is posted individually so messages are independently linkable and dismissible