Hi, kids. My name’s Rose, but most people here know me as Appledoo. As people know, I do volunteer work for BlueMaxima’s Flashpoint, an organization that archives web games (including Flash, Shockwave, Unity, Java, and more platforms) for when Flash dies in 2020.
Of course, just because we archive flash games doesn’t mean we’ve saved them all. Some of these games have been lost to time, and count as “lost media”, with only screenshots, logos, gameplay videos, or news articles to prove that it existed. This doesn’t mean they won’t be found, though; for example, in September of 2019 a developer for Postopia, a games website that had lots of games lost to time, came forward with the files for about two dozen games.
It isn’t always as easy as asking a dev for the files, though, but it can be easier. This is a guide on how to use the Flashpoint Cache Dumper to help us find lost media, in case you played a lost game.
TL;DR: Read this article.
Step 1: Find A Computer You Played The Game On
This part is definitely the hardest, and impossible in some cases; for instance, if you/your parents threw away the computer or it was nuked from orbit. However, if you managed to find a computer you know you played a lost game on, and it still works, you may have found something good.
Step 2: Install The Flashpoint Cache Dumper
It’s linked above, but here’s a download. Get it on your old PC using a SD card or a USB drive or a wax cylinder or something. This will work on Windows versions as far back as 2000.
Step 3: Dumping The Cache
This is where the magic happens. After extracting, run FlashpointCacheDumper.bat, read what it says, and press enter. If you want all cached files being dumped, rather than the ones that are higher priority (namely the Turner subdomains, the candy-based gaming websites, King, etc), run the file at App\CompleteFlashpointCacheDumper.bat. This process may take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours, or even a day. When this is done, put DumpedCache.7z and DumpedCache
Step 4: Post DumpedCacheInfo.7z In The Discord
Here’s a link. If you have anything of interest in the 7z, a member of staff will notify you, and you can post the files from DumpedCache.7z (preferably the ones of interest and not all of them) in the discord.
Thinking about it, making this guide was a horrible idea, since I can’t name more than a dozen people here over 16. Whatever.