Save online Flash games to your computer to play OFFLINE!

This is how to Save online Flash games to your computer to play OFFLINE! (yes, i copied it from the title)
You need:
A computer
Firefox browser(it will work ONLY w/ Firefox)
YOUR BRAIN
This Instructable

Note: I have a Mac, but it will work on Windows and Linux too

*EDIT* Other people made ibles on this too, but mine doesn't use downloadhelper or any of that crap

Step 1 Getting to the Game

this one's a no-brainer-go to the web page where you play the game and wait for it to load COMPLETELY

Comments

[T_T_]

have you ever played super mario bros. crossover? try it best flash game ever

[AJBrawlLvr]

no ill try it thnx

[jstuxx]

Unfortunately this will only work in rare occasions. Reason being: the SWF flash files ARE NOT THE ACTUAL GAMES, they are just small applications which download the games from an external source (that is the reason they always load). So even if you save it to your computer you will still have to be connected to the Internet, still wait for it to load, and will still have to view the ads which are shown while the game is loading. An example of this is the play game button which is white at first and then slowly the white empties and only when it is completely depleted can you play the game.

Not the solution I was hoping for yet I keep getting the same thing being said with lots of different software but all do the same thing. Does not matter whether you use download helper, firefox or looking into the source, it does not work. People who designed the games are smarter than that.

[Steinzo]

I have encountered this same issue. My (internet)research on this subject leads me to believe that many flash games are comprised of a SWF intro or preloader, dynamic content (e.g., interactive video clips) that is stored separately from the webpage that has the SWF intro/preloader, and some sort of XML or Javascript code that processes input from the user and calls the dynamic content. I have tried (unsuccessfully) to analyze the XML and/or Javascript that I have found accompanying some games, but it has been written in a way that apparently obscures the filename(s) and location(s) of the dynamic content.

I'm curious if "jstuxx", "AJBrawlLvr", or anyone else who has encountered this has found a good way to capture not only the SWF intro/preloader, but the dynamic content as well. Like others, I would like to be able to play interactive video flash games (e.g., Subservient Chicken) offline when I don't have an internet connection available.

[sogans]

I didn't have Firefox at the moment so I simply used Chrome. But when I saved I wasn't able to "save" the SWF File since it didn't show up in the page_file. So I looked up the page source and saw the url for the game.SWF. So I accessed that and simply saved it as a SWF file. But it certainly made sense to know this technique. If I would known it I would of saved Merlin's Quest -my favorite game before Shockwave pulled it of existence. Although I would love to know who has a "hidden" copy of this game. Please write me at [e-mail]

[jordanwade]

when i open the swf its just a black screen....is there another swf??

[byi]

Step by step

Save Flash Games on your your Computer Desktop (or Flash videos)

http://www.gamesbomb.com/archives/abc/how-save-flash.html

[SWSMFilms]

I couldn't find it

[Cenny]

Some website like kongregate protect their games against such simple methods, but there is a much easier and better way.

I recently found this cool software, check it out
http//www.flashgamedownloader.com

[survivorwolf]

it works with a usb would it work on Cd i wanna know because my desktop is a win 98 and does not recognize flash drives

[AJBrawlLvr]

As long as you save it as a data file, I see no reason why it wouldnt. ive never tried it, but i am almost positive it will (you may have to copy it to the hard drive, afain, im not sure)

[Dr.Paj]

I have my own method of doing this, but I use Firefox (for Mac).

The first thing I do is go into Tools > Page Info > click the Media tab and look for a .swf file (the Type should be labeled as Object). 

Once you have located the .swf file, you want to save it onto your computer, I save all my games in a folder I call Games in my documents.

In order to play your recently saved game, you download iSwiff and once you download and open it, you just go into file (while in iSwiff) and open the .swf file you downloaded earlier. Now you can enjoy your game.

This method doesn't work with some games, I have found that some sites protect their games so that you can't download them (adultswim.com).

[Grey_Wolfe]

^ This works, and much faster. Though the flash I got gets weird artifacts on one side if Fox is full screen. I have to restore it down to flash size.

Otherwise, nicely done.

Not a bad Instructable, though. It gave people the info and brought about even more efficient solutions to the task at hand.

[AJBrawlLvr]

thanks so much did u rate?

[Creator75]

If I did this on a computer with firefox, could I save the files to my flash drive and play them on another computer without internet or firefox?

[jedi_knight]

YES yes you can i saved a couple to my flash drive and it works fine from switching from a fire fox browser to something like internt explorer google crome. the only thing thaat i found a bit weird was that it cut the width of the game on the right sideof the screen but that wasn't to troublesome.

[hankhill34]

YYYYYYAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY It worked

[MisterHankie]

 It's easier to move the flash file from your cache to somewhere where it won't get deleted.

[Earths_hope]

uhhhh... Use flash catcher? bit easier yeah?

[MoritzB]

cool, it works

[HowardC]

Ugh..... This isn't a firefox only deal.  As others have illuded to (but haven't specifically stated) this will work on ANY browser, INCLUDING Internet Explorer. 

Simply select "view source" from  the browser of yoru choice, search for a swf.... copy that url (the url to the swf) in your browser's address bar to show just the game without the webpage.  Then select the "save-as" option in your browser.  Since you only have a swf file loaded, it will save just the swf. 

Also note that there are several flash viewers/players on the pc side of things that eliminate the need for a web browser to replay the game.  The most common is media player classic, which does a fantastic job and allows you to run files from the command line.

[cowscankill]

I use a different method with windows.... I can get the game in about 10 seconds.

[Bartboy]

There's a better way with safari....

Just click "Window" "Activity" then from the activity window locate the .swf to download only the game, and no extras.

[andyspam]

 Great tutorial!  Btw it works in google chrome to

[menotbug]

the easiest way is to add the "downloadhelper" plugin to firefox.  go to preferences>capture>network and add .swf to the files that it picks up.

then just go to the site and download the game through downloadhelper

[i_like_cheese]

Thank You!

[timothymh]

 Thanks for this awesome tutorial!

[AJBrawlLvr]

did u rate?

[lemonie]

Alternatively view page source, search (CTRL-F on my browser) for "swf" until you find the hyperlink. Copy and paste into a blank html doccument, open that and right-click to "save link as" - you don't have to download the whole page.
See attached - if you download it, save as a .htm file.

L

[AJBrawlLvr]

yeah, thats a great idea, but usually on the page source, there are multiple swf files

[lemonie]

I hit the search twice. The point of that method is to avoid excessive downloads because you say you're using dial-up.

L

[HandyBob]

If that doesn't work, download the Web Developer extension for Firefox.
It has an option to view generated source, if the page should be dynamically build. Or sometimes the AdBlock extensions adds a tab to the flash object, giving you the address to.

I wonder if that's considered an illegal download? The browser already downloaded it to get the page in the first place, right? What about YouTube? Plenty of artists put there video clips on YouTube, which can be downloaded and converted to mp3's. Sounds like a grey area to me ;-)

[lemonie]

So long as you didn't sell / modify / display in public or distribute I guess you're entitled to download a copy.

L

[AJBrawlLvr]

yeah, all it means is that you don't have to go to the page to paly the game, and some sites *cough*NinjaKiwi*cough* don't let you

[AJBrawlLvr]

sorry, i meant "play"

[-Cry_Wolf]

I just lost the game dammit! >:O

[AJBrawlLvr]

LOL