6.1 KiB
6.1 KiB
Project Overview
Introduction
Flashpoint Web is a self-hosted web application designed to browse and play games from the Flashpoint Archive. It provides a modern, user-friendly interface to access thousands of preserved Flash games, HTML5 games, and animations from the early web era.
What is Flashpoint?
Flashpoint is a community preservation project dedicated to saving games and animations from the web. With Adobe Flash Player's end-of-life in December 2020, millions of Flash games and animations became unplayable. Flashpoint preserves these games and provides tools to play them.
What is Flashpoint Web?
Flashpoint Web is a web-based alternative to the Flashpoint Launcher, offering:
- Browser-based access to your local Flashpoint collection
- Modern UI built with React and Tailwind CSS
- Advanced search and filtering for thousands of games
- Play session tracking with statistics and analytics
- User management with role-based access control
- Playlist management for organizing favorite games
- Responsive design that works on desktop and mobile
Key Features
Game Browsing & Search
- Comprehensive filtering by platform, developer, publisher, series, tags, year, and more
- Fast search across 70,000+ games in the archive
- Multiple view modes (grid/list) with customizable layouts
- Related games suggestions based on developer and platform
- Random game discovery feature
Game Playing
- Flash games using Ruffle WebAssembly emulator (no plugin required)
- HTML5 games running natively in the browser
- Fullscreen mode with keyboard controls
- Embedded player or dedicated player view
- Platform compatibility detection
User Features
- User authentication with JWT-based security
- Role-based permissions (admin, moderator, user, guest)
- Play session tracking with duration and completion status
- Play statistics showing top games, playtime, and activity
- Favorites and playlists for organizing games
- Theme customization with 22 color palettes and dark/light modes
Administration
- User management with role assignment
- Permission system with granular access control
- Activity logging for audit trails
- Auth settings configuration (guest access, registration, lockout policies)
- Database hot-reloading when Flashpoint Launcher updates metadata
Architecture Highlights
Flashpoint Web consists of two independent services:
- Backend (Port 3100) - REST API server handling game metadata, user management, authentication, and game file serving
- Frontend (Port 5173) - React web application providing the user interface
This separation allows:
- Clear separation of concerns
- Backend handles both metadata and game content
- Frontend focuses on user interface and client-side state
- Simplified deployment with fewer containers
Technology Stack Summary
- Backend: Node.js, Express, TypeScript, SQLite (BetterSqlite3), JWT, bcrypt, node-stream-zip
- Frontend: React 18, TypeScript, Vite, TanStack Query, Zustand, Tailwind CSS, Shadcn UI
- Game Emulation: Ruffle (Flash), Native Browser (HTML5)
Use Cases
Home Users
- Browse and play your personal Flashpoint collection from any device on your local network
- Track your playtime and discover new games
- Create playlists for organizing favorites
Multi-User Households
- Individual user accounts with separate play statistics
- Guest mode for temporary access
- User registration for creating accounts
Educational Institutions
- Preserve and provide access to educational Flash content
- Track student engagement with educational games
- Role-based access for teachers and students
Game Preservationists
- Access comprehensive metadata from Flashpoint's preservation efforts
- Contribute to playlists and curation
- Integration with existing Flashpoint installations
Project Goals
- Preservation - Support the Flashpoint mission of preserving web games and animations
- Accessibility - Make preserved content easy to access via modern web interfaces
- User Experience - Provide intuitive, responsive UI for browsing and playing
- Extensibility - Modular architecture allowing future enhancements
- Performance - Fast searches, efficient file serving, responsive UI
- Security - Secure authentication, permission system, audit logging
Comparison with Flashpoint Launcher
| Feature | Flashpoint Launcher | Flashpoint Web |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Desktop (Windows, Linux, Mac) | Web browser |
| Interface | Desktop application | Web application |
| Game Support | All platforms | Flash, HTML5 (browser-playable) |
| Authentication | Single user | Multi-user with RBAC |
| Play Tracking | Local only | Per-user with statistics |
| Remote Access | No | Yes (local network) |
| Search/Filter | Basic | Advanced with multiple criteria |
| Playlists | Launcher-managed | User-created, favorites |
| Updates | Manual | Database hot-reload |
License
Flashpoint Web is open-source software. (Note: Add appropriate license information)
Credits
- Flashpoint Project - For the incredible game preservation work
- Ruffle - For the Flash emulator technology
- Community Contributors - For testing, feedback, and contributions
Getting Started
Ready to dive in?
- System Architecture - Understand the system design
- Technology Stack - Learn about the technologies used
- Setup Guide - Set up your development environment