Stuck points & obscure mechanics
Stuck points, obscure mechanics and setup notes — the specific problem you searched for, answered.
· Browser emulation
Embed classic MS-DOS games into your website using JS-DOS v8 and WebAssembly. Step-by-step bundle packaging, audio buffer tuning, and IndexedDB save state persistence.
· Browser emulation
Step-by-step RomM deployment guide using Docker Compose. Mount game directories, configure metadata scrapers, and stream retro ROMs in your browser.
· Browser emulation
EmulatorJS, js-dos, v86, Ruffle and noclip.website are lumped together as browser emulators, but they do four different jobs. Here is what each is, what it costs you, and one that declares no licence at all.
· Browser emulation
EmulatorJS is a RetroArch frontend that runs entirely in a browser tab. Here is what it needs, what it will not do, and why a Chromebook is a surprisingly good machine for it.
· Game mechanics
The corner rule is the beginning, not the strategy. Here is the full zigzag method, the opening sequence to memorise, and the recovery move for when the board is nearly dead.
· Game mechanics
Mathematical breakdown of the Hextris combo timer countdown ring. Learn when to bank 3-block clears, how multiplier decay curves work, and how to reach 20,000+ points.
· Game mechanics
Mathematical analysis of raw unassisted Minesweeper generation. Learn why unassisted random boards have a 10-20% opening fatality rate and how to optimize opening click positions.
· Old hardware
Step-by-step conversion of cheap ex-office desktops (Dell OptiPlex, HP ProDesk) into dedicated living-room retro consoles using Batocera Linux. BIOS tweaks, controller pairing, and 60 FPS performance.
· Old hardware
On old hardware the bottleneck is rarely raw speed, it is judder. Here are the four emulators worth using on a weak machine, and the sync settings that decide whether the game looks smooth or sounds smooth.
· Handhelds
In-depth comparison of custom Linux distributions for budget retro handhelds. Boot times, sleep mode battery drain, fast-forward stability, and per-chipset recommendations.
· Handhelds
Configure OnionOS on the Miyoo Mini Plus to execute official PICO-8 Raspberry Pi binaries instead of the Fake-08 fallback emulator. Full Splore Wi-Fi integration.
· Handhelds
Configure ArkOS on the Powkiddy RGB30 720x720 square display. Optimal integer scaling for PICO-8, Game Boy, and SNES, plus battery gauge recalibration.
· Game development
In-depth architectural comparison of Raylib and Godot 4 for 2D indie retro games. Real-world WebAssembly payload benchmarks, cold boot latency, and engine overhead.
· Game development
One is a renderer, the other is a framework that contains a renderer. That single distinction decides which you want, and it is the thing most comparisons bury under a feature list.
· Game development
Godot, Defold, Phaser, KAPLAY and Raylib all promise a game by Sunday. They are not interchangeable. Here is what each one is genuinely fast at, and where each will waste your weekend.
· Open source
A pure CSS game has no JavaScript at all — state lives in checkboxes and the whole thing is a constraint puzzle. A vanilla JS game has no framework. Both are worth playing for different reasons.
· Open source
Traditional roguelikes are the least monetised genre in games, and one of them has been playable in a browser tab for years. Here is what to play and the four checks that expose a free-to-play trap.
· Open source
OpenTTD, OpenRA, Mindustry and Cataclysm-DDA are four of the most-starred game projects on GitHub. Three are engine reimplementations that need something from you. Here is the licence and the catch for each.
· Open source
One of these is open source and free. The other is closed source and costs $14.99. Both are excellent, and the right pick depends on whether you want to publish or to own your toolchain.