Flash games in the modern day, and onwards.
Flash is dead, Flash has gone, Flash is obsolete, or you can no longer publish in ‘flash’ etc etc. These are common phrases that you are likely to have heard when you mention ‘Flash’.
I still use ‘Flash’ from time to time. ‘Flash’ is actually used to create games and interaction. Flash, in fact, covers 2 areas. It can have a double meaning. But firstly, I want to cover whether you can still publish games in Adobe Animate in 2023, or Flash, if you must refer to its old name.
With Flash, now called Adobe Animate, you can still publish games and animations in 2023 in various different formats. One of the most popular formats now used to publish games in Adobe Animate is HTML5. When you publish your ‘flash’ project, and all of its components in HTML5, you can then either upload the package bundle to a game portal or host it on your own website.
You can still publish games in Flash in 2023. This is achieved through the Adobe Animate software, you can either publish games as HTML5 Canvas, projectors, or as a legacy format Flash Player.
However, in order for your Flash project to run in ‘flash player’ – you would need to have Flash player installed. Flash Player is no longer supported by Adobe, neither is it supported by many web browsers. By and large, Flash Player is obsolete. So much so Adobe recommended uninstalling Flash player from your computer.
To further understand whether you can still publish games Flash, please read on!
Or if you are wondering if Flash is right for you, you may find this topic helpful.
Difference between Flash, and Flash Player
Can you still publish games in Flash | Verdict
You can still publish your games in Flash, or to be precise from Adobe Animate. The name Flash, or ‘Flash Professional’ for the software to create what was formally known as Flash content was phased out in 2016 and became Adobe Animate.
With Adobe Animate, you can publish your game in a variety of common formats :
- HTML5 ( canvas )
- As a Mac projector
- Windows Projector (.exe )
- WebGL
- Legacy – Adobe Air + Flash Player
These are a handful of game formats you can use when publishing games from Adobe Animate in 2023. Each format comes with its own unique purpose and attribute, depending on the intent of your project and publishing platform.
“And yes, you can still publish games from Adobe Animate in 2023.“
Can you still publish games in Flash – old Flash formats
You can still publish in some legacy formats in Flash and or use 3rd party software to publish and play your game. Please keep in mind that publishing in Flash is actually a somewhat confusing way of phrasing a question, but it is a common way of phrasing a question.
There is a difference between:-
– Publishing from Flash, which is now called Adobe Animate
– Publish to Flash, short for the Flash Player.
Confusing! But to read on and hopefully, things will be clearer.
You may also be wondering if you should use Flash for your game project.
Brief history and confusion around ‘Flash’ vs ‘Flash Player’
If you have not read the statement above, you can still publish games to ‘Flash’. But, It should also be noted that there is a difference between publishing to Flash Player and publishing from Flash. I hope this clears up some confusion between the two.
The phrasing of the question is important, so please bear this in mind.
Publishing to ‘Flash Player’ – Imagine a TV Screen
Publishing from Flash was and is very different from publishing ‘to Flash’ ( to Flash Player), These terms are often used but can be easily confused.
You can still publish to Flash Player, which is a legacy format for publishing games from Adobe Animate – whether you should publish to Flash Player now, is another question. Adobe Animate used to be called – Flash, Adobe Flash, Flash Professional. Or when the software was first created Macromedia Flash.
Once it became the property of Adobe – Adobe in its later years of ownership of Flash Player stopped actively supporting it in 2021. Flash Player was the way in which you could play and view your published Flash game.
You can still publish to Flash Player in a legacy format if you wish to. But Flash Player is no longer supported by many browsers and this should be considered carefully if you are creating a game or browser game.
*Flash Player is no longer supported.
Adobe advised those with Flash Player to uninstall Flash Player due to security reasons.
You can still publish to the Flash Player in a legacy format, but there is no saying that you should.
Publishing ‘from’ Flash | Can you still publish games with Flash in 2023
‘Flash’ has always been confusing when describing the creation and distribution of your game. Making it for and with Flash are two very different approaches to a project.
To educate, and help you unlearn ‘but its Flash’ – here is my summary of what it means to publish a game from Flash software.
The difference between Flash Player and the Flash program.
The Flash Player was the play head that was installed on many computers and browsers to enable gamers to play Flash games on their computer. Flash Player, played Flash content. It was this that was phased out.
Flash Professional or Flash which became Adobe Animate. Is the area in which you made your content for a variety of platforms – commonly, Flash Player.
Technically speaking you can still publish games from Flash, but the software is not called Flash anymore. Unless you use old versions of the software. Flash became Adobe Animate.
And yes, you can still publish games from Adobe Animate in 2023.
Publishing Flash ( Adobe Animate ) games in 2023 | Popular Formats
There is a list of various formats you can use to publish game content from Adobe Animate. You can use experimental formats and new formats such as HTML5 canvas and Web GL.
Here is a short description of formats you can still use to publish games in flash games 2023.
From Adobe Animate, you can publish HTML5 Canvas
HTML5 canvas is now a staple format for publishing from Adobe Animate to create games, rich media content, and other interactive projects. You can use HTML 5 canvas for your Flash game.
Can you still publish games in Flash – create a projector from Adobe Animate
Adobe Animate enables you to be able to publish projectors for both Windows and MAC operating systems. Once you select the correct setting for either Mac or Windows, your game will be exported as either and or .exe for Windows and .app for MAC. These games can then be played as stand-alone applications without the need of 3rd party players or legacy Flash Player.
Can you still publish games in Flash 2023? You can do so in a wide array of formats depending on the intent of your game.
You may also be interested in reading whether you can create 2d games on your own.