Download it. Pair once. Play.
AoE2HD Watcher sits on your Mac, watches the SaveGame folder, sends live replay pulses during the match, and lands final replay proof automatically when the file settles.
This is the one-click identity handoff. The app saves the key locally, and manual paste remains as a fallback.
DMG is easier. The Direct ZIP is a real fallback, not a reduced version.
Auto-detect usually finds the AoE2HD or CrossOver SaveGame path immediately.
AoE2HDBets receives live replay pulses during the match and final proof after the replay settles.
The watcher can send in-progress replay snapshots while the match is still being played.
When the replay file settles, the watcher pushes the final parse so results land clean.
The ZIP contains the same app bundle and the same upload pipeline as the DMG. No feature loss.
Most users should never need Terminal. If the DMG or Direct ZIP opens and the app launches, you are done.
If Gatekeeper blocks the unsigned app, clear the quarantine attribute once and open it again:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/AoE2HD Watcher.app"
open "/Applications/AoE2HD Watcher.app"/Applications. The command is only for launch friction, not a different watcher mode.The packaged app already points at production. Most users do not need to touch any variables at all.
These are only useful for protected uploads or manual terminal launches.
AOE2_API_BASE_URL=https://api-prodn.aoe2hdbets.com
AOE2_UPLOAD_API_KEY=your_watcher_key_here