How Flash games shaped the video game industry

[Q-Nova]

Just read this fantastic article about the history of Flash games and how they affected the games industry (indie games especially) as we know it today:

https://www.flashgamehistory.com/

Do you have memories of Flash and the games made with it? All I remembered playing was a few Mario and Sonic clones many years ago, ones that I hardly remember now. I was far more into the games you can download and then play like the ones from the YoYo Games Sandbox and, of course, MFGG. I saw some pretty neat-looking games in that article that I might try out someday, though. Do you have any favorites? I know Super Mario 63 is considered by some to be a classic.

[Vert]

Man, that sure brings back memories. We didn't have a lot of money growing up, so Flash (and fan) games were all I knew for a long while. For a kid who felt like he didn't fit in with his peers, edgy and bloody games were like a dream come true.

If I had to choose my favorites, the ones that still stick out in my mind are Line Rider, FL Tron, Pico's School, Interactive Buddy, Newgrounds SIM, Riddle School, Sim and :the game:. I played those the most.

[VinnyVideo]

Thanks for sharing - that was a good article. I knew Flash was very influential, of course, but I didn't realize that endless runner games and escape rooms got their start from Flash.

Personally, I didn't play a lot of Flash games - I played a lot more fangames/indie games that I downloaded and played. I never made any games, animations, or anything else in Flash, though it's something I once thought about trying.

I understand why there was a push to move away from Flash - it wasn't very secure, and it didn't always play nice with mobile devices. Still, I agree with several people quoted in the article who said that Adobe could've done a better job of supporting it.

The moment was especially ideal for newcomers and outsiders, who now had a low barrier to entry and no industry gatekeeping.

This was well-said - Flash and other game-making technologies of its era tended to be user-friendly with a very low barrier to entry, especially for students and beginners. Flash certainly wasn't the only tool that people on varying experience levels can use to make creative, experimental games, although I think the technology was conducive to making that kind of game. I worry that newer game-making tools (think HTML5 instead of Flash, or GM Studio 2 instead of previous versions of GM) often have a higher barrier to entry than their predecessors and are harder for new users to get started in.

Course clear! You got a card.