Curation Format

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about putting together a curation and submitting it to Flashpoint. If this is your first time contributing, be sure to follow our step-by-step tutorial.

What is a Curation?

Flashpoint is not just a collection of files; it is a museum of playable web games. As in any other museum, each item needs to be curated before it can be put on display. Curating for Flashpoint is more than downloading an SWF, dropping it off in the Discord and expecting it to appear in the next update. You'll need a specific folder setup, screenshots, and a text file, all packaged in an archive called a curation. All of this will be explained as you read further.

Before You Start

Checking the Master List

Often times, somebody will request a game or animation that's already been added to the project, better yet waste time curating it themselves. To make sure this doesn't happen to you, please check the Game Master List (and for animations, the Animation Master List) before possibly taking time out of your day to save something that's already been saved. Use CTRL+F to search the list of titles.

Barred Games

These are games/animations not allowed in Flashpoint for any reason. You can make an effort to get them working in Flashpoint if you want, but you may not request or submit them.

• Games/animations that are still on sale, we will not distribute currently paid content. (Don't forget that some games start in web browsers for free then get paid versions later, the web browser version would be allowed in Flashpoint in this case; be sure to check the history before you archive.)
• Any outright emulation of a commercial game (Such as a swf of Contra which contains the Contra ROM image). Ports of games are absolutely fine, but games that are a ROM wrapped in an emulator are not allowed unless they contain only non-commercial games and/or allow you to load your own.
  • While not emulation, fan remakes/conversions of Nintendo projects like Full Screen Mario are too risky to add if they were taken down by Nintendo. Not all remakes/conversions are risky though, if you are unsure just ask in #curators.
• Videos embedded in SWF files:
  • If the SWF has nothing on it other than it requiring a separate FLV to run the SWF file properly (and if the FLV works perfectly fine on VLC), then it won't be allowed on Flashpoint and it should rather be uploaded through Archive.org
  • If it uses any Flash elements like ui, special effects, loop etc., it can be curated.
  • This means that your curation can't be only a video embedded in a SWF.
  • Games, animations and websites that use video are allowed, and you should include the video files and/or SWFs containing video in the curation.
• Animations using the HTML5 platform have to include animated components and make use of HTML5-specific tags, CSS, and/or Javascript.
• Games/animations with cub, shotacon or lolicon content.

• The following are not allowed at developer request:
  • Any game from XForm Games that is not already in the database
  • Windows 93
  • Dragon Ball Devolution, and other games from www.txori.com
  • Any game developed by Nitrome
  • Flash Flash Revolution
  • Any game developed by Farrago Fiction
  • Any game/animation developed by Anonymous-Frog
  • Non-classic versions of Cookie Clicker

It should go without saying that blatantly illegal games/animations are not allowed, either.

Overview

A curation is a compressed folder (any common archive format like ZIP or 7Z is fine). To make a curation, you'll be making a folder, adding all of the required files to it, and finally zipping it up. First, create a new folder with the name of the game you'd like to save. (Windows won't let you create a folder name with certain special characters; you'll need to remove them from the folder name if that happens.) Inside your curation folder, you'll adding a screenshot and logo, a text file containing metadata about the game, and a content folder containing all of the files required to run the game. The next sections will explain each of these required items in detail. Be sure to download our complete example curation ZIP file and follow along.

• 

  A sample of what a completed curation folder looks like.

Content

All content must be placed inside a content folder, then arranged in the same way that they would be placed in Flashpoint proper from the htdocs folder - the best practice is to try and recreate the same structure that the game had on the internet. For example, if a game was hosted at 'http://uploads.ungrounded.net/59000/59593_alien_booya202c.swf' you would do the folders in this example like the image below. If that is not working for some reason, a secondary format is acceptable - a domain folder, a folder with the game's name, then the game files, displayed as the second example.

You might notice that some games in Flashpoint use a domain called localflash instead of a website domain. This is a legacy practice, and it is not used anymore unless the source files come from a CD, ZIP file, or other offline location.

Examples

• 

  This is assuming you've already tested the game with Flashpoint Core. Don't forget the folder with the game's name!

Logo

Logos must be in PNG format, and have the entire title of a game, or something that is representative of the game. To be named 'logo.png' in all cases.

Recommended tools include Snipping Tool and Paint, both included in Windows 10 by default. You're free to use other tools, just remember, always use PNG.

Examples

• 

  Bad example. Crop it down to just the logo.

• 

  Good example. Logo is sufficiently cropped.

• 

  Good example. Can show off a bit of the artist's work, but no menu options or other things to get in the way.

• 

  Good example. If no title is available, a decent shot of the focal point of the game will do instead.

Screenshot

Screenshots must be in PNG format, and have a credible 'action shot' of the game (no menus or obvious tutorials). To be named 'ss.png' in all cases.

Recommended tools include Snipping Tool and Paint, both included in Windows 10 by default. You're free to use other tools, just remember, always use PNG.

Examples

• 

  Bad example. Don't show obvious tutorials.

• 

  Bad example. Don't show menus, unless the entire point of the game is menus. Work your way to a battle in an RPG or strategy game.

• 

  Good example. Shows some action. Dying is sometimes unavoidable - don't feel bad if the screenshot is otherwise good.

• 

  Great example. Shows a lot of action and what the game's big draw is.

Metadata

The metadata must be included in a file named meta.txt, and contain all of the fields in the following examples.

List of Metadata Required

You need to add the field, but you can leave it blank if the field is not applicable (unknown developer, no series, no notes, etc.)

• Title: The name of the game, in full. If the game's been hacked, add (Hacked) onto the end of the title.
• Series: The series the game is in. Don't put "Danny Phantom" if the game is based on the Danny Phantom show, only if there is a very specific series pertaining to that game.
• Developer: The name of the developer, or developers. Separate multiple developers with the , symbol.
• Publisher: The site that published (released/branded) the game.
• Play Mode: One of the following, but up to three per game is possible:
  • Single Player: A solo experience from start to finish.
  • Cooperative: Like "Single Player", but with others being in the journey of finishing the game from start to finish.
  • Multiplayer: Playing against someone else or multiple players in session on who wins
• Status: One of the following:
  • Not Working: The game doesn't work.
  • Playable: Fully playable from beginning to end.
  • Playable (Partial): The game is playable but incomplete/unfinishable.
• Extreme: Whether or not the game should be hidden when asked because of thoroughly extreme content not appropriate for younger people.
• Genre: See Genres.
• Source: The website you retrieved the game from. Both a full URL and simply the name of the website (with the .com/etc at the end) are acceptable.
• Launch Command: The location of your file inside the content folder, replicating an internet URL. This is case-sensitive. Never have https:// at the beginning of a URL, it will eventually break something. ALWAYS use http://. If a URL has https:// at the beginning, it's wrong, end of story.
• Notes: A message that will appear in the right panel of the launcher. Reserve this for important tidbits related to how the game works that should be known before playing.
• Author Notes: This line will only be seen in the autocuration tool. Great for if you want to warn someone off adding the game in the traditional way.

A Good meta.txt

Title: Alien Hominid
Series: 
Developer: The Behemoth
Publisher:
Play Mode: Single Player 
Status: Playable
Extreme: No
Genre: Shooter
Source: Newgrounds.com
Launch Command: http://uploads.ungrounded.net/59000/59593_alien_booya202c.swf
Notes: 
Author Notes: Thanks for your work!

Blank meta.txt

Title: 
Series:
Developer: 
Publisher:
Play Mode: 
Status: Playable
Extreme: No
Genre: 
Source: 
Launch Command: 
Notes: 
Author Notes: 

Remember to place all 3 just outside the content folder.

Testing

You'll need Flashpoint Core to test your games in a lightweight copy of Flashpoint you can afford to break.

Place the files from inside your content folder within the Server\htdocs\ directory. Once you've done this, open the Core launcher, click the "New Game" button in the bottom right and mirror the info from your Meta.txt into the right panel. Click the checkmark and open your curation - if everything goes well, your game should open in a new window! If it doesn't, make sure you're copying the contents of your content folder and not the folder itself.

All games should be tested in Flashpoint, if not Core then at least the full version. Just opening the game in a projector or browser is not enough of a test.

Packing it up

You've finished your first curation! All of these files should now be packed into a single .ZIP file and submitted to our #curator-lounge on the Discord. If your curation is up to snuff, you'll be given Trial Curator status, which will let you submit curations through the curation channels. You can use Discord's own upload feature for files under 8MB, or our own file host for bigger files. This is also linked in the channel topics of our submission channels on Discord.

Here is the full example ZIP file. (This was also linked earlier, in the Overview section).

After Submitting

Editing Your Curations

If you notice a mistake with your curation after you've submitted it, just delete it and resubmit. (If you used our upload service, you might have to ask a Curator to delete your file for you.) If your curation has already been added to Flashpoint read our article on Metadata Edits and head over to the #metadata-edits channel in our Discord so you can make necessary changes. If you're wondering whether your curation has been added to Flashpoint yet, look for a :Tools: emoji reaction anywhere below your post in the Curations channel.

Having Problems?

Because we can't remind you enough already: Join our Discord and ask away in the #help-me-please channel.