I think it would necessarily cause the "page to load much slower than normal" . If the secondary entry points were just a button, then it wouldn't preload additional iFrames so there would be close to zero overhead on load time. It's just basically a radio box selecting different options from a goodie box.

My personal feeling about this is that it is something that is better suited to the platform rather than the code itself,  Especially when the variants contain completely different assets. It would be  faster to split then, but that's just my opinion.

I think if the feature was added (which I don't think it will be( , and even if it was useless for most people (which it probably will be) , it would still have zero impact on the speed or functionality of other pages.

I'm creating a couple of HTML5 games that have multiple parts or different skinned versions of the same game.

I'd like to be able to list each part under the banner of a single page, with the ability to label a button or configure a UI element per part. Not only that, but I want to create variations of the same game.

Nothing too crazy, but maybe a maximum of 10 entry points per page. Currently, web based applications only allow one clickable entry point, and I'm wary about spamming Itch with an individual page for each variant. It smells like a SEO tactic and would simply annoy users of the site. I don't think that users would via the content of a single game page having more variants in the same negative light.

Of course, I can include multiple versions of the same game / web application, if zipped up, as downloads, but I really want to be able to be able to click to start.

Possible Implementations:

1- Allow a "Hero" web app, which is part 1 (or the default version). Next, let me "add" additional apps, specifying the zipfile / index.html containing each part, and also being able to label the buttons for additional parts. Maybe a tiny thumbnail for additional parts, but that's not as important as the customizable button lable. When clicking the button, it should load the other part, and go into fullscreen mode.

2 - Another possible implementation is to provide a dropdown or radio buttons of the different parts, with a default being able to be set. The site would remember the last one selected for return visits to the page. When selecting a new option, the iframe updates for data relevant to that part (the button text should make it clear which variant will run when clicked).

You may suggest work arounds inside my own web app, such as an in built menu system, but there is also benefit to this being external to the games themselves, not least being able to silo complexity.

Just an idea.

Looks like you are paying attention. 

Perhaps whatever you tried was too fast?

Also, there will be Spanish version of The Path available soon, so I apologise that the current game is very English centric. I only wish my Spanish was as good as your English  (for you to play as much as you have of the game).

Perhaps an adverb would help?

I have added an offline version to the page. I'll add offline versions of the other games a little later on.

You discovered a bug. Now fixed. Thank you !

SPOILERS FOLLOW

-------------------

The cage of glass can be solve by:

1) Using the knife or the key to scratch the glass.
2) After scratching the glass, Kick the glass.

If you don't have the knife or the key, then evaluate the places were you already used them, maybe there are different ways to solve those situations? There is a path that will work for every game. The order of encounters is random, but every player always sees the same set of encounters therefore the game is always solvable with the right choices.

Thanks for the nice comment. Glad to see that the game is having the desired effect.

As I don't know if this forum supports spoiler tags, I pasted a hint for the bear  in plaintext here:

https://pastebin.com/raw/awrZD3em

Spoiler here : https://pastebin.com/raw/RPYCHpZc

Hello Leafo,

I have deployed the 1.04 update to the beast as a PWA application (to Itch and my own website) . On my own domain it works, on Itch it does not.

To see how the PWA should act (if not served via Itch's wrapper), I have hosted the game here:

https://adventuron.io/games/thebeast

For the purposes of testing, use Chrome, and you should see the button as presented here:

The purpose of PWAs is to be able to ask the player / user if they wish to install the game locally, then for the player / user to be able to use the app/game offline, via a shortcut in the host operating system.  

I suspect the problem is with the Itch wrapper.

Itch also provides me with a URL to directly go to my game. Using the link shown here ALSO does not present the PWA installation button (on Chrome):

I think the problem is that the Itch wrapper (which places the contents into an embedded iframe) is somehow playing havok with the following code (which must intercept the 'beforeinstallprompt' event on the Window object):

Possible solutions:

* The "game" does not start inside an iFrame, the "Run Game" button (from the main page) redirects to the index.html that I deployed inside the zipfile.

* OR fix the wrapper to see why the wrapper is suppressing the 'beforeinstallprompt' event.

Long term, it would be convenient to be able to place PWA content (not the beast - which is free) behind a paywall, as with other types of "for pay" content on Itch. 

Chris

Thanks for the comment. I wish I had metrics for how many people loaded the game, and how many played it, but I have no idea. For all I know, no-one has played it to the end so nice comments like these are welcome.

Hi,

I'm wondering if a feature might be added for deploying a PWA ( https://developers.google.com/web/progressive-web-apps/ ) version of a HTML5 game on Itch? 

Ideally, I'd like "Run Game" to redirect to a page containing my PWA assets, so that then the browser can ask if I want to install the PWA application (on Windows 10 / Chrome OS / Android / iPhone). I want it to be as seamless as possible ideally.

It would be useful to optionally be able to restrict this to people that have purchased titles, as a method of letting Adventuron users monetize their games on Itch (they may also of course opt for completely free).

Would existing site features let me achieve what I would like or might support be added in the future for such requirements?

I can provide a PWA app for testing purposes if so required.

Chris

I would like to enquire if uploading an update will ever re-allocate my game to a different domain? My game has an autosave feature, and if domains are switched then I worry that players progress will be lost.

Thanks for the comment about the game. If you are enjoying it, it's a tribute to Linda.

Thanks for the link, but the game already deals with orientation perfectly. The bug occurs in the Itch wrapper around my HTML5 game, therefore there is nothing I can do, as orientation information seems to be intercepted and withheld from my application. 

I have posted the bug report, and I'm sure that it will be resolved soon enough.

The Beast is the first HTML5 application of this genre that specifically targets mobile (I believe), and it really has been designed to REQUIRE portrait mode (on tablet, it is much less of an issue due to more screen space). These teething issues will pass.

LINK : The Beast of Torrack Moor : 30th Anniversary Edition

The Beast (1988) was a classic adventure game, for the ZX Spectrum, written by Linda Doughty, that arrived at the dawn of the "twilight" era of UK text adventures (where commercial viability disappeared and dozens of authors self-published).

It was well reviewed in "Crash" magazine, and is generally considered to be one of the high-points of UK homespun narrative-focused text-adventures in this era. 

This anniversary edition, released with the approval of Linda herself, leverages the web as a platform to create an experience that feels retro, yet has a lot of value-add features that would have been impossible on the original cassette tape release - such as autosave, autocompletion, command history, 4k monitor support, together with bugfixes and minor enhancement ;-). 

This is not a straight port or emulation, but running on a new text adventure engine called Adventuron, that exposes the features of modern browsers and theming to create the illusion of an infinite variety of virtual 8-bit system.

Completely free to play - give it a try today.

NOTE: Due to this bug on the itch platform, the game is borderline unplayable on small screen devices (forced into landscape orientation), so please play on desktop devices until the bug is resolved (tested to play fine on mobile without this bug).